Lagarde warns against protectionism

IMF chief's remarks come as US moves trigger trade war worries

The head of the International Monetary Fund is calling on countries to steer clear of protectionism in order to sustain global growth.

The speech by Christine Lagarde, the IMF managing director, at the University of Hong Kong on Wednesday came amid growing tension between the United States and China and many other countries after US President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum imports in the name of national security and threatened to impose tariffs on $150 billion worth of imports from China.