Japan

“We've enjoyed this unique advantage because our main competitor in the Japanese marketplace, Australia, has low cattle supplies.”

A Q&A with Kentaro Sonoura, from Hanoi.

HANOI -- U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, at his first public appearance here during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation trade ministers meeting, said the U.S. defending its own market against unfair trade practices should not be confused with protectionism -- the definition of which, he claims, “is sort of migrating.”

Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee used Thursday's confirmation hearing for President Trump’s pick to serve as ambassador to Japan, Bill Hagerty, as a chance to extract pledges that their trade complaints will be addressed.

The Trump administration is likely to fashion future trade dealings along the lines of its 100-day trade plan with China, Vice President Mike Pence said Thursday.

Countries with a “significant trade deficit in goods” in 2016 that are the subject of the Commerce Department's review of bilateral trade deficits pushed back against the focus on bilateral trade balances, while also emphasizing the importance of understanding the structure of global value chains in comments submitted to Commerce for the review.

A Commerce Department statement calls the new numbers “alarming.”

Members of Japan’s National Diet, speaking in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, stressed that Tokyo will not be able to make the same concessions it did in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks if the U.S. seeks a bilateral agreement with Japan instead -- and said detailed discussions on trade can’t happen until relevant U.S. agencies are adequately staffed.

But Akihisa Nagashima says some concerns were eased following a meeting between President Trump and Pime Minister Abe.