Trump at the G-20 Summit in Argentina

The G-20, Group of Twenty, is an international forum in which governments, central banks governors, heads of state, and finance and foreign ministers meet annually to discuss key issues and elements of the global economy. The G-20 was established in 1999, and has since expanded in order for more economic leaders to discuss the international stability of the developed wealthy countries. Nineteen countries along with the European Union make up the body of the G-20, and its current Secretary is President Mauricio Macri of Argentina. Due to his current position of power, the G-20 summit was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, making it the first ever meeting of the nations in South America.

The policies and issues discussed during this summit on November 30th of 2018 told us a lot about the current relationships between the countries with the larger economies in the world, including the United States represented by President Donald Trump. The World Trade Organization (WTO) was called for reform, and this will be furthered discussed in June of 2019 at the next Summit. The final statement made regarding the WTO did not mention protectionism, though, due to Trump's objection and constant criticism. However, the trade relations between China and the U.S. were altered as Trump agreed to hold off plans of tariffs and organize a 90 day truce in their trade battle. China is interested in buying a substantial amount of products from the U.S. such as agriculture, energy, and more to reduce the countries trade deficits.

Trump also objected the Paris Accords on climate change, in opposition to the other 19 participating and signatory nations that reaffirmed their environmental commitment to this agreement. The importance placed on the subject was evident, for all 19 other representatives fully supported the movement while the United States continued to hold out. This was concerning to others because according to many scientists the U.S. is among the larger contributors to climate change, and not respecting the Paris Accord will continue to be detrimental to a larger and unified global response. The lasts significant negotiation for Trump and the U.S. was with Canada and Mexico regarding the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) , as Trump has been discussing abolishing what he labeled as a “disaster” for some time. The revised treaty regarding trade seems to cause concern for many democrats in Congress, but Trump’s plan to terminate the original treaty puts lots of pressure on them. The summit produced interesting outcomes as expected, for President Trump has shown that he is still not afraid of standing as an outsider.