Overview

• U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will miss his third G20 finance meeting under South Africa’s presidency, leaving the largest economy unrepresented at the table.
• President Donald Trump’s recent baseline and punitive tariffs, plus threats of levies on BRICS nations, have become the focal point of the Durban talks and stoked policy uncertainty.
• Director General Duncan Pieterse signaled plans to publish the South African presidency’s inaugural communique at the end of the meeting, seeking consensus on debt relief, development finance and climate action.
• Nearly two dozen sub-Saharan countries are already in or at high risk of debt distress while Chinese lending has slowed, creating an $80 billion financing gap for the continent.
• European finance officials warn that U.S. proposals for tariffs of up to 30% on their exports could undermine export-led economies and further strain transatlantic trade.