G20 trade officials meet under shadow of tariffs, overcapacity

The gathering of officials from the Group of 20 major economies -- which includes China, India, Russia, Japan, Germany and France -- takes place in the Midwestern city of Milwaukee.But analysts expect the two days of talks to be deadlocked as Trump's tariffs weigh on relationships while China rejects concerns about its exports, which critics see as driven by excess industrial capacity.US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer defended Washington's approach at a Tuesday roundtable in Milwaukee, saying the administration "is not anti-trade."He added that countries are facing similar challenges with global overcapacity and "non-market policies."This week, key US trading partners like Canada and the European Union are also expected to push for deeper trade ties outside the United States."Don't expect any breakthroughs in Milwaukee," Josh Lipsky of the Atlantic Council think tank told AFP, noting Trump's preference for bilateral negotiations.Even as G20 partners will be anxious to find ways to cooperate with the world's biggest economy, "they will also be under pressure to voice their concerns with tariffs," added former US trade official Wendy Cutler, now at the Asia Society Policy Instit...