Sri Lanka, July 22 -- Gita Gopinath, the second-in-command at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will step down at the end of August to return to her position at Harvard University, the IMF has announced.

The timing of Gita Gopinath's exit has taken many within the IMF by surprise and is believed to have been prompted by her own decision, reported news agency Reuters.

Having originally left Harvard to serve at the Fund, she is now set to resume her role as professor of economics at the university.

Her departure opens a window for the U.S. Treasury to propose a successor-an opportunity that comes as US President Donald Trump pushes to reshape global trade dynamics and curb the country's persistent trade deficits through sweeping tar...