politics

Trump says he'll push Japan for more 'reciprocal' trade, in a friendly way

36 Comments
By Steve Holland

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36 Comments
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he is right, its not about cars. just the pure numbers, japan is half the us population yet export less than half from the US what they export to the US.

Its not fair and it needs to change. If not cars then meat, or metals or plastics. If they do not like American quality then they can get used to not having American money

-12 ( +5 / -17 )

our trade with Japan is not free and it's not reciprocal

Amen

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

This isn't how trade works. People need to be open to it yes, but that's only half the issue. Then they need to ALSO want to buy what you're selling. Substandard whatever, meat and cars, to a fickle Japanese market doesn't a trading nation make. Maybe if USA corporations could only exist in the USA would it not be a chore to figure out who is selling to whom

1 ( +5 / -4 )

I still don't get it...

If it's exported, it's because it sells well. If it's not imported, it's because it doesn't sell well. Isn't that some capitalism basics ?

If american companies want to export more, shouldn't they start by making better product ?

What should be negotiated ? Force the consumer to buy american even if he doesn't want to ?

Am I missing something ? Can someone explain that to me ???

2 ( +6 / -4 )

The world is international in production and design. This is why economists don't hold the trade surplus number as valid. So a Japanese company in the USA making cars for the US market is actually employing locals and selling locally. Beats shipping and works well. But this doesn't fit the Trump narrative

8 ( +11 / -3 )

When you look at Takata, Kobe Steel, etc. the "substandard" meat and such are silly. It's because the Japanese import rules are set up to block imports, not protect people. That's the problem. It extends to rice too.

9 ( +12 / -3 )

not a fan of trump on almost everything, but he gets trade correct somewhat. yes, america has gotten screwed on some trade deal, especially in a highly protected economy such as japan. but america also needs imports because it either doesn't manufacture the product any longer or it never manufactured the products (such as high end electronic parts).

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Uh-oh! Wonder if the clowns from yesterday's photo are still waving the "We love America" pre-printed and paid for signs.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Made in USA cars should demonstrate Mileage Display Device, however far away to compare Japanese or German cars, just to remote 5 decades ago and how many cars in the world were for much richer people who never minded of fuel mileage. Which decade or millenium are we now?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

alexandre forget cars, how about meat, metals, rice plastics, drinks, cotton. many things besides cars that Japan is protecting its markets in one sided trade

2 ( +3 / -1 )

 just the pure numbers, japan is half the us population yet export less than half from the US what they export to the US.Its not fair and it needs to change. If not cars then meat, or metals or plastics. If they do not like American quality then they can get used to not having American money so the the average Japanese needs to purchase twice as many goods from America than vise versa, to balance the trade deficit, how is that fair!? last I checked it was $Trillions of cheap Japanese and Chinese credit which kept Americans charging up all those goods they consume instead of actually purchasing from savings they dont have. America is a bit like the dog that growls at the person feeding him.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

over 70% of Japanese cars sold in the US are "made in the USA" American workers benefit from Japanese cars far more the Japanese workers. Maybe Japan should ask American car makers to open factories in Japan so Japanese workers can benefit from American car sales/exports, seems only fair if you want to balance the so called trade imbalance

2 ( +4 / -2 )

again forget cars, look at imports to exports.

no logical person can say with a straight face American/Japanese trade is free and reciprocal

2 ( +3 / -1 )

America is a bit like the dog that growls at the person feeding him.

are you kidding? Between America and Japan, which country could survive without the other? Almost 30% of Japan's ENTIRE GDP is in America

Which is the dog and which is feeding. Please comment responsibly

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Push & Friendly. Now I understand.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

If it's exported, it's because it sells well. If it's not imported, it's because it doesn't sell well. Isn't that some capitalism basics ?

It's not that simple. See Competition Law, Free and Fair Trade, Collusion, Cartels, Boycotts, Predatory Pricing, Anti-dumping, Tie-ins, Distribution systems, etc.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

To Dango bong:

From your: alexandre forget cars, how about meat, metals, rice plastics, drinks, cotton. many things besides cars that Japan is protecting its markets in one sided trade.

Well, cars are just one of the example to explain Japan isn't unfair to export to USA for its cost and technology. Actually I wanted to repeat what I commented in the other JT column. USA can sell 1 unit of weapon of an equivalence to dozen of cars exported, and a Japanese car exported equivalent to tons of metals, rice plastics, drinks, cotton from USA. Trump is here to sell weapons, the easiest way to convince Japan's govt. protect the country from dangerous neighbors, who can manage those costs from our taxes and not from those lawmakers/ diplomats pockets.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I love American meat when I’m in America but the meat that makes it over here is pure garbage. No wonder nobody wants to buy it. Why not export decent meat if they want people to buy it, instead of dumping the meat they can’t sell domestically in other countries?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Grow local as much as possible - it tastes fresher. Import what cannot be grown, manufactured, or mined.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

On a side note, I wonder what the Japanese are thinking about with the constant mass shootings in America. Is there a travel advisory? I wonder if they think Americans are crazy for not addressing gun control.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Friendly, Mr Trump?

"Sure! You keep paying for our bases and we'll buy your goods."

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

This STINKS like Monsanto !

1 ( +2 / -1 )

For reliability, quality, beauty and functionality, it's clear that the US likes Japanese products more than Japan likes US products. There will always be trade imbalances because of this. Having said that, is it really so strange considering the population of the US is triple Japan's? If anything, there should be a bigger trade imbalance.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Good luck with that, DT.  not in my lifetime.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

america has gotten screwed on some trade deal, especially in a highly protected economy such as japan

Japan actually has one of the lower tarif rates in the world, at an average of 1.2 (The US has an average 1.4). It has some industries in which it is very protectionist, mainly agriculture and the finance sector, but you can hardly define Japan as a "highly protected economy".

japan is half the us population yet export less than half from the US what they export to the US.Its not fair and it needs to change. If not cars then meat, or metals or plastics. If they do not like American quality then they can get used to not having American money

Oh yes, the zero-sum game that trump thinks the economy is; which is why he is nothing more than a phony bussiness man. The economy is not a zero-sum game, trade does not always work both ways, but it doesn't mean that one party is worst of because of it.

The whole point of trade is that both parts are better of with it. Let me put it this way. Unless you are the CEO of a large corporation that sale things on retail stores, you probably have a 100% trade deficit with you local groceries store. Is that something bad? Are you somehow worst off because of it? Can you say that you local store is taking advantage of you, and that they should to start buying whatever you sell, even if it is crap?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It will be interesting to see what Trump says to Xi in Beijing. The US trade deficit with China is about five times that of Japan.

Earlier this year, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said that trade deficits with Japan were "growing at an alarming rate” between February and March 2017 and demanding "rebalancing our trade relationships” with Japan, Mexico and Germany ….. with no mention of China.

According to US Census figures, there was a big rise between February and March 2017, as there has been every year since before the start of this century, see , which shows that Japan imports roughly US $5 billion worth of US goods and services every month, and has done so consistently for the last 20 years, while the US imports roughly US $10 billion from Japan most months, except for around March where the figure goes up to $12 or $13 billion. 

The US trade deficit with Japan has been on a downward trend since its peak at nearly $90 billion in 2006.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c5880.html

0 ( +0 / -0 )

For reliability, quality, beauty and functionality, it's clear that the US likes Japanese products more than Japan likes US products.

Not really, for example I think few prefer Japanese smartphones to those made by Americans that invented them, including Japanese people.

Cars, different story.

I would love to see beef and dairy products from all over the world at the supermarket. When we get that we can believe that japan is engaged in free trade.

for those who think US beef is lower quality, fine. Not sure myself, but I do believe it would be lower price.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

US made phones equal iPhones, more common are Chinese, etc phones.

Love my Asus, Huawei devices.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He’s going to fix the trade deficit? Hysterical. Yesterday the buffoon asked Japanese automakers if they could build cars in the US instead of just shipping them here.

All Japanese automakers have plants in the US. Toyota and Honda have bigger plants here than anywhere else in the world.

The international embarrassment knows nothing about trade.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Latest Trunp suggestion to Abe and Japan.

" Make cars in USA " (Japan has been doing)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He has been describing Abe negatively.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

He says Japan has to increase missile purchase. He began insulting Abe now.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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