Ajay Banga has recommended waiting to see how the measures taken by the White House are actually implemented and then developing arguments to defend against them.

World Bank President Ajay Banga on Monday urged world leaders not to react hastily to announcements by the government led by US President Donald Trump and to be "practical."

"My only advice to everyone is not to be too quick to respond or judge," Banga told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.

The head of the International Monetary Fund's sister institution has also recommended that other countries wait to see how the measures taken by the White House are actually implemented and to develop arguments to defend themselves against them.

"I've dealt with him [Trump] in the past. He's a very practical man, he understands numbers, leverage and advantages. You have to go to him and explain what you bring to the table," he said.

Trump's first week in office has seen a flurry of executive orders and resolutions, ranging from imposing tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China to a review of all existing foreign aid.

In this regard, the latest friction has been caused by Colombia, a nation that had refused to accept illegal immigrants deported on military flights from the United States and which finally ended up accepting after Trump threatened to tax its imports or revoke visas.