US, Japan to rebuild trade ties with new forum

The United States and Japan announced on Wednesday a new trade partnership to boost cooperation on labor, environment and digital trade issues, with an emphasis on "third country concerns," a reference to China's state-driven economic policies.

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who is in Tokyo to meet with new Japanese government ministers, said initial meetings of the US-Japan Partnership on Trade would take place early in 2022, with periodic meetings on a regular basis.

"This partnership will deepen the cooperation between the United States and Japan that has defined our strong bilateral trade relationship," Tai said in a statement issued by her office in Washington.

"Our close collaboration will support the Biden-Harris Administration’s economic framework for the Indo-Pacific and help create sustainable, resilient, inclusive, and competitive trade policies that lift up our people and economies."