TOKYO: Japan will tell the US in their economic talks that any border tax the US government imposes on imports should not violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, an adviser to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday.
Yasutoshi Nishimura also said Japan would not rule out a bilateral trade agreement with the US, but talks may not start soon because Washington is putting a higher priority on renegotiating the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
“We do not want any border tax to violate WTO rules by becoming a tax system intended to promote exports,” Nishimura told Reuters in an interview.
“Our position is WTO rules and multilateralism are important and we want to lobby for that.”
Abe and US President Donald Trump agreed last month to establish a new framework for economic dialogue to discuss trade and infrastructure investment. The two countries have not set a schedule for their talks.
Trump has spoken positively about a 20 percent border adjustment tax being pushed by Republicans in Congress as a way to boost exports, but it is still uncertain if he will fully endorse the proposal.
Trump, who has lashed out at US companies for moving operations and jobs to countries such as Mexico, had previously sent mixed signals on the border adjustment tax. Some Japanese policymakers grew concerned about US protectionism and a return to 1980s trade friction after Trump criticized Japanese auto imports shortly after taking office in January.
Trump has since softened his rhetoric on Japan following a summit meeting with Abe where the two leaders agreed to hold the economic dialogue.
Japan hopes to avoid trade friction by reminding Trump that the trade relationship has changed a lot since the 1980s, Nishimura said.
Japanese automakers now produce a lot of cars in the US, which dovetails with Trump’s repeated pledges to create more jobs, Nishimura said.
Japan is interested in using the new dialogue with the US to talk about infrastructure investment, boosting other types of direct investment and US shale gas imports, Nishimura said.
Some economists and policymakers are worried that the US could use the dialogue framework to criticize Japan’s currency policy and its aggressive monetary easing. Nishimura expressed confidence that Japan could avoid such criticism, saying Japan needs easy monetary policy because it is still in deflation and that foreign exchange levels are determined by markets.
‘Japan will tell US to respect WTO rules’
‘Japan will tell US to respect WTO rules’
Record $14.4bn rise in Saudi holdings of US Treasuries
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia increased its holdings of US Treasuries by 10.71 percent in November in what was the largest increase since data tracking began in 1974, according to the latest official data,
The Kingdom’s US Treasury portfolio stood at $148.8 billion in the month, up $14.4 billion from October.
Following the increase, Saudi Arabia moved up one place to 17th place among the largest foreign holders of US Treasuries.
Countries including Saudi Arabia invest in US Treasuries for their perceived safety, liquidity, diversification benefits, and alignment with economic ties to the US.
The Kingdom’s holdings were 17.25 percent higher in November compared with January 2025.
The allocation highlights Saudi Arabia’s preference for longer-dated US government debt as part of its foreign reserve strategy, focused on capital preservation, liquidity, and diversification amid global market volatility.
Saudi Arabia’s holdings included $106.8 billion in long-term securities, accounting for 72 percent of the total, while short-term holdings stood at $42 billion, or 28 percent.
Globally, Japan remained the largest foreign holder of US Treasury securities at $1.2 trillion, followed by the UK at $888.5 billion, mainland China at $682.6 billion, and Belgium at $481 billion.
Canada ranked fifth with holdings of $472.2 billion, followed by the Cayman Islands and Luxembourg in sixth and seventh positions, with portfolios valued at $427.4 billion and $425.6 billion, respectively.
France placed eighth with $376.1 billion, followed by Ireland at $340.3 billion and Taiwan at $312.5 billion.
Other countries included in the top 20 list include Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Norway, as well as India and Brazil.
The trade relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US remains strong, with the Kingdom exporting SR5.20 billion ($1.39 billion) worth of non-oil goods in October, data from the General Authority of Statistics showed.
Speaking to Arab News in October, Nasser Saidi, founder and president of economic and financial advisory services firm Nasser Saidi & Associates and a former minister of economy and trade in Lebanon, said US Treasuries are a critical pillar of stability.
“Holding treasuries allows Saudi Arabia to meet its international payment obligations — finance imports, service external debt, portfolio, and capital flows — provide a buffer against oil revenue shocks, while also generating a steady, low-risk stream of income,” he said.
