The United States and Japan completed the first round of meetings of the United States-Japan Partnership on Trade on February 28 (March 1, Japan time). The U.S. delegation was led by Michael Beeman, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea and APEC Affairs, and Japan’s delegation was led by Ono Keiichi, Director General, Economic Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Matsuo Takehiko, Director General, Trade Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.
On areas of common interest collaboration, the United States and Japan discussed specific initiatives and efforts in a range of areas, including:
- Digital Economy – Discussions focused on affirming shared commitments and both sides decided to coordinate efforts to respond to third-country regulations that go against these commitments, and to exchange views on emerging and innovative digital trade rules.
- Trade Facilitation – Discussions focused on the importance of resilient supply chains, and the growing role of digital technology in customs trade facilitation.
- Third-country Issues – Both sides exchanged information on shared concerns about the trade distorting practices of third countries and discussed concrete follow-up activities.
- Multilateral Cooperation – the United States and Japan also concurred to work towards robust agendas for the United States’ APEC host year and Japan’s G7 host year, both in 2023.
During the meeting, both countries also covered bilateral trade issues on each side, including issues in the areas of regulatory transparency and standards, among others.
The United States and Japan will engage in intersessional activities and expect to hold the next round of Partnership meetings to advance these and other shared priorities during the summer of 2022.