The United States President, Donald Trump said that they struck a trade deal with Japan that could executed without the approval of Congress but stopped short of guaranteeing Japan that latest tariffs would not slap on vital auto exports. In a White House letter to the United States Congress, Trump stated that he aims to enter into deals on tariff barriers and digital trade in the upcoming few weeks and was notifying policymakers that the tariff agreement would made under a trade law delivery letting the president of the United States make mutual tariff reductions by proclamation.
Moreover, Trump also said in the letter that he would reach into an Executive Agreement with Tokyo about the digital trade. Also, the agreement did not need a vote in Congress under the alleged fast track approval process. Last year, the administration of Trump notified Congress that it would follow negotiations with Tokyo under this way. Announcement of Trump left unclear on a critical issue to Japan whether he settled not to enforce threatened national security tariffs on vehicles and auto parts of Japan. Evading the Section 232 duties of over twenty-five percent was a central motivating factor for Japan in negotiating with the United States on trade.
Japan’s Foreign Minister Statement on the Current Environment
Toshimitsu Motegi, Foreign Minister, and Japan’s chief negotiator said in a news conference that at the final stage, they plan to reconfirm that Section 232 won’t implement on Japan.
Taro Aso, the Finance Minister of Japan, said the agreement wouldn’t comprise of currencies or any provision, another tension for Tokyo. Whereas, Japan wants to avoid any deal deterring its capability to intervene in the markets of foreign-exchanges in the spike event in the yen or to enhance the massive monetary stimulus of the Bank of Japan. Last month, after the G7 summit, Trump said that he did not see tariffs of the auto at this stage.
Over the last few years, the scope of the debate narrowed to eliminate the automotive sector, the source of most of $67 billion United States trade deficit with Japan. Whereas, Trump and Shinzo Abe announced a deal in August in a principle of an agreement that covered decreases in industrial and agricultural tariffs but not autos. Robert Lighthizer, a spokesperson for Trade Representative of the United States, could not instantly give any comment on the trade agreements and the letter. Abe and Trump said at the France G7 summit that they expected to sign the deal at UN General Assembly of this month in New York.
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