TOKYO – The Office of the United States Trade Representative, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry today announced the launch of the U.S.-Japan Partnership on Trade. The initiative reaffirms the shared commitment to strengthen this alliance through regular engagement on trade-related matters of importance to both countries.
“This Partnership will deepen the cooperation between the United States and Japan that has defined our strong bilateral trade relationship,” said Ambassador Katherine Tai. “Our close collaboration will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s development of an economic framework for the Indo-Pacific and help create sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and competitive trade policies that lift up our people and economies. I thank Minister Hayashi and Minister Hagiuda for bringing this Partnership to life. I look forward to working with them in the days ahead to make life better for workers and meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
The initial areas of focus for cooperation will include issues such as third country concerns, cooperation in regional and multilateral trade-related fora, addressing labor and environment-related priorities, a supportive digital ecosystem for all, and trade facilitation, among other issues. It is expected that the first series of meetings under the Partnership on Trade will take place early in 2022. Periodic meetings will be held thereafter on a regular basis to advance a shared agenda of cooperation across a broad range of issue areas as well as to address bilateral trade issues of concern to either side.
The Partnership will be chaired by representatives of the Office of the United States Trade Representative for the United States, and by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Trade for Japan.
###
