Cape Town – US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will skip the upcoming G20 finance ministers meeting in South Africa for the second time this year.
Instead, he will attend the US national day at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, on July 19, reports said on Wednesday.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will miss the upcoming G20 finance ministers meeting in South Africa. Instead, he is traveling to Japan to attend the Osaka World Expo on July 19, a choice that is raising concerns among global economic leaders.
The Osaka World Expo is a… pic.twitter.com/kHxWmvvVvq
— Media (@media_tvz) July 9, 2025
According to Reuters, Michael Kaplan, acting undersecretary for international affairs, will represent the US at the July 17–18 G20 meeting near Durban.
The report said that Bessent’s absence indicates growing diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pretoria, including US accusations of land seizures in South Africa and the threat of funding cuts.
🇺🇸🇿🇦 US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will be skipping the G20 finance meeting in South Africa next week, opting to attend an exhibition in Osaka, Japan. G20 has been largely skipped by top Trump minions. pic.twitter.com/L04RjLNAq3
— Mr Bubbles ala Brucey Baby (@bruceybld) July 9, 2025
These tensions have intensified under President Donald Trump, who recently announced new tariffs on imports from South Africa and Japan.
Trump also continues to send mixed signals about attending the G20 leaders summit in South Africa later this year.
