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Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said he’ll seek another opportunity to talk with his US counterpart Scott Bessent next week to discuss currency matters, building on their dialogue last month.“We confirmed that currency rates should be determined by the market, and that excessive volatility can harm the economy and financial stability,” Kato said Friday at a post-cabinet meeting press conference, referring to his April bilateral meeting with the US Treasury secretary in Washington. “I’m looking for a chance to speak with Bessent again next week to discuss these points, if...

Sign up to receive CFR President Mike Froman’s analysis on the most important foreign policy story of the week, delivered to your inbox every Friday afternoon. Subscribe to The World This Week. More From Our Experts Greetings from Tokyo. More on: Japan United States U.S. Economy Trade My deep interest in Japan dates back to my days working as a young summer associate at a Japanese law firm in Tokyo in 1989. (My now-wife, Nancy, worked at the rival law firm.) In those days, Japan was in the midst of an incredible economic boom...

US President Donald Trump has touted an increase in new investments coming into the country at an event with some of the world's business leaders. More than 20 CEOs from major companies planning to invest took part in the event at the White House on Wednesday. Trump said, "The companies represented in this room have collectively announced more than 2 trillion dollars in new investments." He also said, "Every new investment, every new factory and every new job created, is a sign of strength in American economy and a declaration...

On President Donald Trump’s much-touted April 2 “Liberation Day,” he unveiled a range of potentially debilitating “reciprocal” tariffs on the United States’ major trading partners—and most other countries as well. Surprisingly, some of the countries facing the highest tariffs after the April announcement were U.S. partners in Asia, such as Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam; Vietnam, a huge trading partner, was hit with a 46 percent “reciprocal” tariff. Trump also put tariffs on Cambodia—a whopping 49 percent for one of East Asia’s poorest countries—and even Australia, a critical security ally...

The yen advanced past the psychological level of 140 against the dollar as investors sought alternatives to the greenback amid increasing risks for US assets.With the independence of the Federal Reserve under threat, heightened unease from tariffs and a looming meeting between the finance chiefs of Japan and the US, the yen broke through resistance to appreciate as much as 0.7% to 139.90 per dollar. That was its strongest level since September and made it the best performer among Group-of-10 currencies on Tuesday. President Donald Trump’s trade war has boosted...

U.S. President Donald Trump Lists 8 'Non-Tariff Cheating' Tactics. | Image: Donald Trump Tariffs US President Donald Trump has once again highlighted what he calls “non-tariff cheating” in global trade. In a recent post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump listed several trade practices that, according to him, harm American businesses and workers. In a recent post on his social media platform, Truth Social, former U.S. President Donald Trump outlined several unfair trade practices he believes harm American businesses and workers. He listed what he called “NON-TARIFF CHEATING,”...

TOKYO - Japan is "deeply concerned" about global economic fallout from US President Donald Trump's trade tariffs, Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said on Thursday (April 17) in the government's strongest warning yet as the two nations began trade talks. In an interview with Reuters in Tokyo hours after the talks began in Washington, Kato also voiced concern over recent volatile market moves triggered by Trump's tariff announcements, saying they could hurt Japan's economic recovery. "The recent US tariff measures affect various industries and heighten uncertainty. We're deeply concerned they could affect...

KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit closed marginally higher against the US dollar today, driven by a weaker greenback amid global trade tensions, said an analyst. Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Afzanizam Rashid said the situation with the US tariff remains highly fluid as Chinese president Xi Jinping visited the Asean countries this week. “The weakening of the greenback was surprising as the US dollar, a safe-haven currency, would normally thrive during heightened uncertainties. “Such dynamics would complicate how traders and investors would position themselves in times like this,” he told...

The dollar drifted lower on Monday after an early bump off a three-year low, as investor confidence in the world’s reserve currency remained in question following a stream of tariff-related pronouncements from US President Donald Trump.Investors braced for another volatile week as Trump’s imposition and then abrupt postponement of tariffs on goods imported to the US continued to sow confusion.The dollar reversed early gains as the Asian trading session got under way, languishing near a 10-year low against the Swiss franc at 0.8188.Sterling held to most of its 1.7 per...

US and Russian officials have met in Turkey to discuss ways of normalizing the operations of their countries' embassies. Russia's state-run Tass news agency says the US and Russian diplomats held talks for five and a half hours at the Russian Consulate General in Istanbul on Thursday. The officials reportedly agreed to make it easier for diplomats to travel and receive visas. The agency also says the two sides discussed the need to resume direct air service between the countries. The Russian side is said to have mentioned that it...