Bessent shrugs off bond market sell-off as he touts US growth

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed recent bond market fluctuations during a G20 finance gathering in North Carolina, emphasizing the long-term growth prospects of the US economy. Despite rising debt levels and energy-related inflation, the US bond market has outperformed its peers, with Treasury yields showing minimal change.

Bessent attributed this to low or declining inflation expectations, positioning the US as a growth story. The Treasury Department responded to market volatility by doubling the size of its government debt repurchases and expanding its 10-20-year and 20-30-year options. Critics, such as investor Stanley Druckenmiller, argue that this approach is insufficient to address solvency concerns.

Bessent countered that US bonds have remained flat since President Trump's inauguration and that the strategy only postpones the conversation. The global bond market experienced a rout, with Japan's 10-year bond hitting a 3% level in 26 years and the UK's 10-year and 30-year bonds reaching record highs. Bessent highlighted the significance of US-Japan coordination on macroeconomic priorities during a meeting with Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda.