IMF Urges China to Shift From Exports to Consumption

The IMF called for policy shifts to counter weak domestic demand, deflationary pressures, and high debt levels.

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva delivers a keynote speech ahead of the IMF/WB Spring Meetings at IMF headquarters in Washington on Apr. 17, 2025. Jim Watson /AFP via Getty Images

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Dec. 10 urged China to rebalance its economy away from exports and investment toward domestic consumption, warning that the world’s second-largest economy is now too big to rely on foreign demand for sustained growth.

Speaking at the launch of the IMF’s 2025 Article IV consultation with China, an annual “health check” of the country’s economy, Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said Beijing should address “significant and pressing challenges” to its wider economic framework.