US, global partners wrestle over trade stance
BADEN-BADEN, Germany — Top finance officials including new U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin are debating what stance to take on free trade at a meeting that will help set the tone for the global economy.
The gathering of finance ministers and central bank heads from the Group of 20 countries has focused on shifting attitudes toward trade, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to impose border taxes and rewrite free trade deals he says have shortchanged the U.S.
Mnuchin has said trade need to be “fair,” a shift away from the group’s previous blanket condemnation of trade barriers.
Attention at the two-day meeting in the German spa town of Baden-Baden has centred on a joint statement that is being prepared for Saturday.