US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to Skip Second South Africa G20 Meeting, Attend World Expo Amid US-BRICS Tensions and Trump Tariff Threats

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will not attend the upcoming Group of 20 (G20) finance ministers meeting scheduled to take place next week in Durban, South Africa. This marks the second time Bessent has skipped a G20 finance meeting in South Africa. Instead, he will attend the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, according to a Treasury spokesperson. Bessent's absence coincides with rising tensions between the United States and BRICS countries, as well as ongoing tariff threats from former President Donald Trump. These issues are expected to overshadow the G20 finance chiefs' meeting in Durban.