WASHINGTON – United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai today held an introductory virtual meeting with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry Hagiuda Koichi to congratulate him on his appointment last month and to reiterate the United States’ strong desire to strengthen the U.S – Japan trade relationship. Ambassador Tai said she is looking forward to her upcoming visit to Tokyo the week of November 15.
Ambassador Tai and Minister Hagiuda discussed advancing shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific, including respect for workers’ rights, protecting the environment, and resilient supply chains. They also discussed the importance of working together to address issues in the steel and aluminum sectors, including the root causes of non-market excess capacity, before exchanging views on how the U.S. and Japan can cooperate to address market-distorting measures and economic coercion. Ambassador Tai and Minister Hagiuda underscored their shared commitment to working with WTO members to deliver a successful WTO Ministerial Conference this November.
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