G-7 Summit Statement Seen Excluding Fight against Protectionism

Taormina, Italy, May 25 (Jiji Press)--The leaders of the Group of Seven major countries are expected to exclude their usual pledge to fight protectionism from a joint statement to be issued at their two-day summit in Italy from Friday, sources familiar with the meeting's preparatory work have said. The summit in the Sicilian town of Taormina will mark the G-7 debut of U.S. President Donald Trump, who is eager to reduce his country's chronic trade deficits under his "America first" trade policy. The Trump administration has voiced a negative view about including a message against protectionism in the G-7 leaders' declaration. The seven countries are now seeking to include different wording, calling for promoting free trade, according to the sources. The G-7 groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. Support for free trade and opposition to protectionism are among the G-7's longest-shared values. At the first major countries' summit, in France in 1975, leaders of the then Group of Six, which did not include Canada, said in a statement, "In a period where pressures are developing for a return to protectionism, it is essential for the main trading nations...to avoid resorting to measures by which they could try to solve their problems at the expense of others." The United States and the other G-7 members are also at odds on the issue of global climate change. Following the Italy summit, the Trump administration is expected to decide whether to withdraw from the landmark Paris climate accord, signed in April 2016.Copyright JIJI PRESS LTD.