G20 finance chiefs dem dey gather for South Africa on Thursday, but di meeting dey happen under di shadow of President Donald Trump tariff threats and di question wey dey ground about whether dem fit join hand tackle global wahala.
Di G20 group, wey dem first form as forum to fight di global financial crisis, don dey struggle for years because of kasala among di big players, wey di Russia-Ukraine war and Western sanctions on Moscow don make worse.
South Africa, wey dey host di meeting under di motto "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability," wan use di chance push African matter go front. Di topics wey dem wan discuss include di high cost of borrowing money and how to fund climate change action.
Di G20 dey try coordinate policy, but di agreements wey dem dey make no dey binding.
US Treasury Chief No Show
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent no go attend di two-day meeting of finance ministers and central bank governors for Durban, di coastal city. Na di second time dis year wey Bessent no go G20 event for South Africa.
Bessent no still show for di February meeting for Cape Town, where some officials from China, Japan, and Canada no attend too. Even though na US go take over di G20 presidency by di end of di year, na Michael Kaplan, di US acting undersecretary for international affairs, go represent Washington for di meeting.
One G20 delegate wey no wan make dem call im name talk say Bessent no dey di meeting no too good, but di US still dey participate for di discussions on trade, global economy, and climate matter.
Finance ministers from India, France, and Russia no go show for di Durban meeting too.
Wetin Matter Pass
South Africa central bank governor, Lesetja Kganyago, talk say wetin matter pass na make sure say person wey get mandate dey represent each country.
"Wetin matter be say, person dey behind di flag wey get di mandate, and all di countries dey represented," Kganyago yarn give Reuters.
US officials never talk plenty about wetin dem plan for di presidency next year, but one source wey sabi di matter talk say Washington go reduce di number of non-financial working groups and make di summit schedule no too long.
Brad Setser, wey be former US official wey dey Council on Foreign Relations, talk say e expect say di G20 go dey "small small" with less big expectations.
Trump Tariff Wahala
Trump tariff policy don scatter di global trade rule book. E don put 10% levy on all US imports, plus targeted rates wey reach 50% for steel and aluminium, 25% for cars, and e dey plan levy for pharmaceuticals. Extra tariffs for more than 20 countries go start on August 1.
Di threat to add 10% tariff on BRICS nations — wey eight of dem dey G20 — don make people dey fear say di global forums fit scatter.
German finance ministry sources talk on Tuesday say di Durban meeting go try strengthen global relationships for dis "turbulent times."
South Africa Treasury Director General, Duncan Pieterse, talk say di group still hope to release di first communique under di South African G20 presidency before di meeting end.
Di last time wey G20 fit agree on communique na July 2024, where dem agree say dem go resist protectionism but dem no talk anything about Russia invasion of Ukraine.
