Milwaukee, October 1: US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Wednesday opened the two-day G20 trade ministers’ meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, calling for changes to the way global trade is governed. During his opening remarks, Greer joked that Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was a “trade minister for life” as he spoke about the need for long-term efforts to address trade imbalances.
Greer outlined four priorities for the US presidency of the G20: preventing the weaponisation of food, addressing structural excess industrial capacity, reviewing the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) principle and eliminating forced labour from global supply chains. He said economies had responded to trade imbalances largely through discussions and called for greater action.
The MFN principle, which generally requires countries to provide the same trade treatment to all trading partners, emerged as a key issue. Greer described it as a central part of the international trading system but argued that its unconditional application could restrict countries’ ability to respond to trade-distorting policies and changing market conditions.
The meeting also focused on excess steel capacity. During a session of the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity, participating countries endorsed the “Milwaukee Framework”, aimed at strengthening coordination on excess production, trade remedies, monitoring of steel supply chains and transhipment. Asked whether countries had agreed to raise tariffs on Chinese steel, Greer said individual governments would decide their own measures, while the United States would seek coordination.
Goyal, who is representing India at the meeting, held bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the ministerial talks. India has maintained that it supports a rules-based, open, inclusive and transparent multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, while seeking policy space for developing countries.
The Milwaukee meeting comes as India and the United States continue negotiations on a Bilateral Trade Agreement and an interim trade arrangement. The Commerce Ministry said Goyal would meet his US counterpart as part of efforts to advance the agreement in line with the joint statement issued by the two countries on February 7, 2026.
Before the ministerial meeting, Goyal met chief executives and senior representatives of US manufacturing and technology companies at a roundtable hosted by the National Association of Manufacturers. He urged US companies to expand their presence in India, work with small and medium enterprises and explore co-investment opportunities in advanced manufacturing and supply chains.
The trade ministers also discussed wider issues involving industrial policy and supply chains. Canada, Russia, Japan and other major economies are represented at the meeting. Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu is also scheduled to hold discussions with Greer and Goyal.
The talks will continue on Thursday, followed by a press conference by Greer and a concluding ministerial session. The G20 trade discussions form part of preparations for the G20 leaders’ summit, which the United States is scheduled to host later this year.