Development finance reacts to US MDB reform aims as EU looks to cut red tape

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◆ Insiders assess Scott Bessent's speech on MDB reform 
◆ European Commission's latest attempt to ease capital market access 
◆ Encouraging signs for credit issuers after tariff turmoil

The US administration gave some clues as to its beliefs on how the IMF and the World Bank should change their operations for the first time this week since president Donald Trump signed an executive order in February asking for a review into the country's involvement in international financial organisations.

US treasury secretary Scott Bessant outlined at an event in Washington, DC to coincide with the IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings his gripes with the two institutions. We discuss if and how reform can be achieved and what the bond market and development finance specialists made of what Bessent said.

The EU meanwhile has launched a consultation into removing capital barriers across the bloc. We discuss what it wants to achieve and whether it is likely to do so.

Finally, after weeks of US tariffs causing turmoil in capital markets, we look at credit to see how issuers are finding their way back to the primary market and adjusting to the new level of spreads.