The White House has selected the Business Roundtable to lead corporate engagement during the United States’ G20 host year, departing from the traditional Business 20 framework organized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Administration officials said the move is designed to streamline business participation and align it more directly with Trump’s economic priorities, particularly deregulation, domestic energy expansion and innovation-driven growth.
“Business Roundtable, led by top U.S. CEOs, is the right choice to champion business engagement during the United States’ G20 year,” said White House spokesperson Olivia Wales, pointing to what the administration views as a successful model built on trade deals, expanded energy production and private-sector job creation.
The Business Roundtable will host a flagship CEO event at Trump National Doral on December 12, ahead of the G20 Leaders’ Summit on December 14-15. The gathering is expected to draw more than 120 Business Roundtable member CEOs along with at least one chief executive from each G20 economy and invited guest nations. Key discussion themes include growth through deregulation, energy dominance and innovation.
Additional events are planned throughout the year, including sessions aligned with Business Roundtable board meetings in Washington and programming alongside the G20 Finance Ministers’ meeting in Asheville, North Carolina, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The decision effectively sidelines the traditional B20 process, which has historically served as the primary channel for business input into G20 discussions. The model rotates B20 leadership to business groups in each host country.
Administration officials described the existing structure as “cumbersome” and “bureaucratic,” arguing prior outcomes were unproductive. The Chamber of Commerce, however, acknowledged the shift and said it would hold a revamped B20 USA in November with what it called a “back to basics” agenda aligned with the administration’s vision. Jessica Boulanger, senior vice president at the Chamber, said the organization welcomes the Business Roundtable’s participation.
A source familiar with the plans said Ross Perot Jr. will chair this year’s B20 conference. The arrangement gives top executives a more direct role in shaping the U.S. G20 agenda and ties business input more tightly to the administration’s policy priorities.