diff --git a/packages/cli/src/api/__snapshots__/compile.test.ts.snap b/packages/cli/src/api/__snapshots__/compile.test.ts.snap
index c252b715b..ef777c553 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/api/__snapshots__/compile.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/cli/src/api/__snapshots__/compile.test.ts.snap
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ exports[`createCompiledCatalog options.namespace should compile with global 1`]
 
 exports[`createCompiledCatalog options.namespace should compile with json 1`] = `{"messages":{"key":["Hello ",["name"]]}}`;
 
-exports[`createCompiledCatalog options.namespace should compile with ts 1`] = `/*eslint-disable*/import type{Messages}from"@lingui/core";export const messages:Messages=JSON.parse("{\\"key\\":[\\"Hello \\",[\\"name\\"]]}");`;
+exports[`createCompiledCatalog options.namespace should compile with ts 1`] = `/*eslint-disable*/import type{Messages}from"@lingui/core";export const messages=(JSON.parse("{\\"key\\":[\\"Hello \\",[\\"name\\"]]}")as Messages);`;
 
 exports[`createCompiledCatalog options.namespace should compile with window 1`] = `/*eslint-disable*/window.test={messages:JSON.parse("{\\"key\\":[\\"Hello \\",[\\"name\\"]]}")};`;
 
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/api/compile.ts b/packages/cli/src/api/compile.ts
index c1f398f0b..79f9f5dda 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/api/compile.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/api/compile.ts
@@ -78,16 +78,16 @@ function buildExportStatement(
     )
     importMessagesTypeDeclaration.importKind = "type"
 
-    // Create the exported `messages` identifier with a `Messages` TS type annotation
-    const messagesIdentifier = t.identifier("messages")
-    messagesIdentifier.typeAnnotation = t.tsTypeAnnotation(
+    // Cast the expression to `Messages`
+    const castExpression = t.tsAsExpression(
+      expression,
       t.tsTypeReference(t.identifier("Messages"))
     )
 
-    // export const messages:Messages = { message: "Translation" }
+    // export const messages = ({ message: "Translation" } as Messages)
     const exportDeclaration = t.exportNamedDeclaration(
       t.variableDeclaration("const", [
-        t.variableDeclarator(messagesIdentifier, expression),
+        t.variableDeclarator(t.identifier("messages"), castExpression),
       ])
     )