South Africa urged G20 countries to show global and cooperative leadership to tackle challenges including rising trade barriers, as the club's finance chiefs met on Thursday under the shadow of President Donald Trump's tariff threats.

Tensions over U.S. tariff threats have dominated the G20 finance ministers' meeting in Durban, South Africa. As finance chiefs gathered to discuss global economic cooperation, President Donald Trump's new tariff plans created concern about further trade disruption and global fragmentation.

South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa has opposed what he calls the "unilateral" higher trade tariffs imposed on his country by the US. US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he would subject imports from South Africa to a new 30% tariff from 1 August.