G-20 Runs Into Turbulence as Trump Stokes Divisions on Trade
Divisions between world leaders over the direction of global economic policy were blown open again on Friday as a Group of 20 summit quickly ran into headwinds over free trade.
Government officials in Hamburg are struggling to agree on a final statement that would bridge differences between the U.S. and most of the other G-20 countries on trade, German Chancellor Angela Merkel told reporters. Work on language acceptable to all on climate was abandoned by the sherpas and left to leaders to hash out. On both issues, officials pointed the finger at U.S. recalcitrance.
“The sherpas still have a big chunk of work ahead on the statement on trade,” Merkel told reporters after chairing the first session. “These discussions are very difficult -- I don’t want to beat around the bush.”
Even President Vladimir Putin, who met with Trump for the first time today, pushed the U.S. leader on trade, according to Russia’s economy minister.
“Nineteen countries were speaking about free trade and one country was highlighting that this country -- United States -- needs reciprocal approach to the trade,” Maxim Oreshkin said in an interview in English with Bloomberg Television. “So that was kind of dissonance between the position of United States and position of all other countries.”
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-07/g-20-runs-into-turbulence-as-trump-stokes-divisions-on-trade?utm_content=politics&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-politics
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