Bessent Urges World Bank to Finance Oil and Gas Projects and Reform Lending Policies
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has called for major World Bank reforms, including lifting restrictions on financing upstream oil and gas projects, supporting deep-sea mining for critical minerals, and changing procurement policies. The proposals, delivered to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) in October 2026, reflect the Trump administration’s effort to align international financial institutions more closely with U.S. energy and economic priorities.
According to a report by Reuters, Bessent also urged the IMF to do more to address global economic imbalances associated with what the United States describes as non-market policies, a criticism widely understood as directed at China.
What Happened
Bessent outlined the proposals in a statement sent late on Oct...



















