IMF's Lagarde says global economic outlook darkening by the day

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (WMF) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a news conference after a meeting in the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, June 11, 2018. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi

BERLIN (Reuters) - International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde led an attack by global economic organisations on U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" trade policy on Monday, warning that clouds over the global economy "are getting darker by the day".

Trump backed out of a joint communique agreed by Group of Seven leaders in Canada at the weekend that mentioned the need for "free, fair and mutually beneficial trade" and the importance of fighting protectionism.