Media credentialing opened for the U.S.-hosted G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, as the United States prepares to use its G20 presidency to shape the agenda of the world’s most economically consequential multilateral gathering, on Aug. 5.
The United States holds the G20 presidency this cycle, making Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent responsible for hosting and setting the agenda of the Finance Ministerial, according to Treasury.
G20 Finance Ministers meetings address global economic issues including trade policy, sovereign debt, currency coordination, and international financial institution reform. The gathering brings together finance officials from the world’s 20 largest economies, representing approximately 85% of global GDP.
The choice of Asheville as host city rather than Washington signals an intentional administration decision to bring international economic diplomacy to a domestic community, Treasury said.
Bessent is expected to chair ministerial discussions on issues including trade finance, debt sustainability, and digital assets, according to the department.
The meeting comes at a moment of unusual volatility in global markets, with trade tensions, weakening economic data in several major economies, and elevated geopolitical risk creating a challenging backdrop for multilateral economic coordination.
As G20 Finance Chair, the Treasury Secretary holds unusual leverage to shape discussion priorities and potential joint statements, giving the United States significant influence over the direction of global economic policy dialogue.