Number: 98-412 Title: INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF): COSTS AND BENEFITS OF U.S. PARTICIPATION Authors: Patricia A. Wertman, Economics Division Abstract: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the international lender-of-last-resort. As Congress considers major funding proposals for the IMF, the costs sustained and the benefits provided by U.S. participation in the IMF have become issues. This report examines both the quantifiable costs and the largely unquantifiable benefits. It also summarizes relevant budgetary conventions, which dictate that U.S. transactions with the IMF have no net impact on the budgetary position of the United States and do not require a compensatory cut in domestic spending. Pages: 21 Date: Updated April 29, 1998