G20 Finance Meeting Begins with Discussions Centered on Concerns About U.S. Tariff Policies

By Shinnosuke Kurama / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

17:31 JST, April 24, 2025

WASHINGTON — The two-day Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting started in Washington on Wednesday, but discussions on the first day appeared to have centered on participants expressing concern about the U.S. tariff policy.

Speaking to reporters after the day’s talks had ended, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said, “I said that it is concerning that Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine and the latest [U.S.] tariff measures had increased uncertainty and could have an impact on the international economy.”

Participants at the meeting will discuss matters including movements in the global economy and financial markets, and development issues in Africa on Thursday. According to sources in some of the participating nations, there is a strong possibility that a joint statement will not be adopted at the end of the meeting. South Africa, which holds the G20 presidency this year, has apparently decided that bringing the divergent opinions of the attendees into line will be difficult.

“It’s important that all sides express their views to each other,” a Japanese government official said.

A meeting of the finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven advanced nations was also held Wednesday. Agenda items included using frozen Russian state assets to fund loans for Ukraine, however media reports before the meeting suggested that the United States was pushing a Ukraine peace proposal that was tilted in Russia’s favor. The Ukrainian side objected to elements of that proposal, which may have impacted progress at the talks.