G20 summit in Johannesburg ends without ceremonial US handover as Washington boycotts next chair's summit

The G20 summit in Johannesburg, South Africa closed Nov. 23, 2025, without the traditional ceremonial handover to the United States, the next G20 chair. 🌲Washington boycotted South Africa's G20 hosting, causing a diplomatic dispute. The US is scheduled to chair the G20 in 2026 but Trump administration officials didn't attend the 2025 summit.

The G20 represents the world's 20 largest economies and meets annually to coordinate economic policy. The ceremonial handover typically occurs at the closing ceremony when the current chair passes leadership to next year's host. The US boycott prevented this diplomatic tradition. South African officials expressed disappointment over the snub.

The boycott marks significant break from US engagement with multilateral economic institutions. Previous administrations—both Democratic and Republican—participated in G20 summits regardless of host country. Trump's boycott signals US withdrawal from global economic governance. Other G20 members proceeded with the summit despite US absence.