The top finance officials of the Group of Seven rich democracies are arriving at Chantilly, in a chateau north of Paris, at the start of a two-day meeting aimed at finding common ground on how to tax technology companies and on the risk from new digital currencies.
The host, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire, is joining Wednesday his counterparts from Germany, Britain, Italy, Canada, Japan and the United States.
Hanging over the ministers is the slowdown in the global economy and President Donald Trump's America-first trade policies, which have led to a tariff war with China and tensions with Europe.
The meeting will prepare the framework for a summit of the G-7 heads of state and government, scheduled for Aug. 24-26 in the French Basque Country resort of Biarritz.