Bessent to miss Bangkok IMF-World Bank talks on Oct 12–18
Senior Treasury officials will lead the US delegation to Bangkok’s IMF-World Bank meetings, with debt and growth on the agenda
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will miss the IMF-World Bank meetings in Bangkok from October 12-18 due to unspecified domestic commitments ahead of the US midterm elections.
- The US delegation will instead be led by Deputy Treasury Secretary Francis Brooke and Under Secretary for International Affairs Erin Browne.
- Bessent's absence is significant as the US holds the 2026 G20 presidency, and he would have been expected to chair a meeting of finance ministers at the event.
- The decision comes at a critical time for the global economy, with rising US Treasury yields and a prolonged energy crisis impacting growth.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will miss the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank in Bangkok on October 12–18, 2026, because of domestic commitments, a US official said on October 9. Deputy Treasury Secretary Francis Brooke and Under Secretary for International Affairs Erin Browne will lead the US delegation instead, the Treasury Department confirmed.
Absence comes amid rising yields and energy pressures
Reuters described Bessent’s absence as coming at a critical moment, with long-term US Treasury yields at their highest in almost 25 years and a prolonged energy crisis linked to the Middle East war weighing on global growth.
Bessent’s domestic commitments have not been specified. Bessent has been a prominent spokesman for the administration’s domestic economic policies as the US midterm elections approach.
US G20 presidency adds weight to Bessent’s absence
The US holds the 2026 presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) major economies, a role that would normally involve Bessent chairing a meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors during the Bangkok gatherings.
Bessent is expected to attend the G20 leaders’ summit in Miami, Florida, in December.
Reuters noted that senior officials have previously missed such gatherings because of scheduling problems. Bessent’s absence could nevertheless disappoint ministers and senior officials from other countries who use the annual meetings for bilateral talks with their US counterpart.
Bessent also skipped G20 meetings in South Africa in 2025 amid the US administration’s opposition to the country’s land reform policies.
US delegation to prioritise growth and sovereign debt
The US Treasury said its delegation would work with partner countries to address policies and structural imbalances holding back growth, while promoting greater transparency and more effective approaches to sovereign debt.
The US Treasury’s stated aim is to help countries in debt distress restore stability and return to growth, with creditors and borrowers held to clear and consistent standards.
The US, the largest shareholder in both the IMF and World Bank, also intends to press the institutions to concentrate on their core mandates, operate efficiently and support economic stability, productivity and long-term growth.
“Our engagement in Bangkok will be guided by a clear objective: ensuring that the international financial institutions and the broader international economic system advance US economic and national security interests,” the US Treasury said in a statement.
