Starting on December 1, the United States took the reins of the Group of 20 major economies (G20) for the first time since 2009, according to the U.S. Department of State’s recent media note (below). Washington has pledged to steer the bloc back to its “core mission” of driving economic growth and prosperity through targeted reforms, amid a contentious handover from South Africa following a U.S. boycott of the Johannesburg summit.
Clearly 2026 will be a busy year for the United States. The G20 Summit will coincide with America’s 250th anniversary and the Summit will be held in Miami, Florida, at a golf resort owned by U.S. President Donald Trump, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who coincidentally hails from Miami.
The United States is forging ahead with a new G20. South Africa operated with spite, division, and radical agendas that failed to produce economic growth. America's G20 will propel us forward with innovation, entrepreneurship and perseverance that makes America great and provides… pic.twitter.com/N3npfX4WvH
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) December 3, 2025
The State Department said the U.S. will push three major themes throughout its presidency: limiting regulatory burdens, unlocking affordable and secure energy supply chains, and pioneering new technologies and innovations, none of which sound particularly “Trumpian” although clearly market-oriented, and some of which would generate heartburn for a number of socialist-leaning developing members of the G20 group, no matter who was in the White House.
The U.S. will also invite new and emerging partners, including Poland, which Washington says has “earned its place” among the world’s top economies after decades of growth. “We will be inviting friends, neighbors, and partners to the American G20. We will welcome the world’s largest economies, as well as burgeoning partners and allies, to America’s table,” Rubio announced in a press release.
The G20 now represents approximately 85 percent of global GDP. The first “Sherpa” and “Finance Track” meetings began on December 15–16 in Washington (see below), followed by a year of working group meetings across the country before the 2026 Summit convenes in December 2026.
Important concerns
Washington’s announcement constitutes a sharp pivot from the former South African presidency’s focus on “just energy transition” and debt sustainability, top concerns of the Global South which the U.S. flatly rejected as misaligned with G20 objectives.
Trump directed a boycott of the November 22-23 summit in Johannesburg, citing unsubstantiated claims of “genocide against Afrikaners” and land confiscations in South Africa, prompting Pretoria to dismiss the allegations as “blatant misinformation” and affirm its continued G20 role. Despite the rift, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa handed over the gavel to a U.S. Embassy representative, since no delegation was sent from Washington, ensuring the formal transition. Nevertheless, Washington omitted South Africa from invitations to the first Sherpa preparatory meeting of the 2026 G20 presidency.
The choice of the Trump National Doral Miami, a Trump-owned venue in Miami (obviously) for the 2026 summit has already generated major controversy in Florida. This U.S. taxpayer-funded event is expected to generate millions of dollars in hotel-and-restaurant revenue, and Trump’s decision has reignited concerns, heard for some time already, that he is profiting from his elected office. In response, White House officials have stated that attendees at the event would be billed by Doral at-cost for the services provided. Speaking as if business ethics are taken seriously in the current White House, Trump aides have rejected any conflict-of-interest claims, and those same aides have made the argument that a third party manages the president’s assets.
In October 2019, under mounting public pressure, Trump reversed plans to host a G7 world leaders’ meeting at that same venue.
United States Assumes Presidency of the Group of 20
Media Note
“Effective today, December 1, 2025, the United States has assumed the 2026 Presidency of the Group of 20 (G20). Under President Trump’s leadership, we will return the G20 to focusing on its core mission of driving economic growth and prosperity to produce results.
As we usher in these much-needed reforms, we will prioritize three core themes: unleashing economic prosperity by limiting regulatory burdens, unlocking affordable and secure energy supply chains, and pioneering new technologies and innovations.
We look forward to hosting the G20 Leaders’ Summit in one of America’s greatest cities, Miami, Florida, during the 250th anniversary year of the United States.”
December 1, 2025
Official website: https://g20.org/
Latest update: From December 15-16, the United States convened a successful G20 Sherpa meeting in Washington, attended by representatives from the African Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom. Poland also attended as the only full guest participant of the U.S. host year.
