IMF reportedly blocked Ricardo Reis's appointment over Trump tariff criticisms

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reportedly withdrew its selection of Portuguese economist Ricardo Reis for the position of chief economist and head of research. According to reports from the Financial Times, the decision was reversed after the institution reviewed previous statements made by Reis regarding the trade tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.

Reis, a professor at the London School of Economics, had previously warned that such tariffs could increase costs for American consumers and trigger new waves of inflation, describing the measures as making domestic production “more difficult, more expensive and more inefficient.”

In July, the IMF appointed Silvana Tenreyro, also an economist at the London School of Economics and former official at the Bank of England, to the role. While Tenreyro has also expressed views that tariffs can harm economic growth, reports suggest she was perceived as “less critical” than Reis. An IMF spokesperson declined to comment on the specific selection process, stating it was “rigorous and competitive.”