Donald Trump It will announce a plan for mutual duties next week. This was announced by the same American president, who in the election campaign had promised to hit any country that requires rates on American assets with rates of the same entity. But the war of duties could undergo an escalation if the tycoon does not get its political objectives, as in the case of Mexico, China and Canada if they do not block the flow of migrants and Fenanyl. Or commercial, as it could happen with the EU, which according to the Financial Times would intend to offer to buy more liquefied natural gas and military equipment from the USA, as well as reducing its rates on American cars from 10% to a percentage closer to 2, 5% of the United States.
Tokyo is also in the viewfinder. “I Love Japan,” Trump said, welcoming the Japanese premier for the first time Shigeru Ishibasecond international leader in the White House after Benyamin Netanyahu. But in part, he immediately frozen him in the oval study by notifying that the duties are also a possible option against his country if he does not get to the balance of the commercial balance, which in 2024 had a deficit of 64 billion for the USA. In the meantime, however, there is a commitment to work to reduce the gap: it is no coincidence that The Donald has used a softer and less threatening approach with the historic allies in the indo-patient dial, such as Japan, South Korea, Australia and Philippines, all countries functional to the containment of Beijing’s rise, the number one opponent of Washington.
Ishiba has landed in well -prepared America and with various concessions. He met first with the CEO of Softbank Masayoshi Son and that of Openai Sam Altman, Two managers that Trump recently hosted in the White House announcing their participation in an investment of 500 billion in the AI. He asked his predecessor for advice, Fumio Kishida, and even visited the widow of Shinzo Abethe Japanese premier with which Trump had made a strong link in the first term also playing golf. Its purpose declared on the eve of the journey is to “build a trusted personal relationship between the two of us”. How all leaders try to do. But in the suitcase Ishiba also brought some concrete proposals to strengthen the alliance, also against China and North Korea, and avoid or remove the spectrum of duties: the promise to increase the purchase of American liquid natural gas, the offer to support the 44 billion pipeline in Alaska, the commitment to bring the costs for the defense to 2% of the GDP By 2027, that is, the threshold set by NATO even if Tokyo is not part of it. Not to mention the investments that Japanese companies make and will do in the US, where they employ almost a million Americans and are in the first place for cumulative foreign direct foreign investments in the last five years.
Tokyo is also a great supporter of the stars and stripes war industry, spending billions of dollars in combat planes and missile defense systems. In the background also the Nippon Steel dossier, after Joe Biden blocked his purchase of Us Steel, a move shared by his successor but contested by the two companies. Many themes on the agenda, according to sources of the White House: joint military exercises, Japanese investments in the US economy, improvement of IT security skills, increased space cooperation and promotion of joint commercial opportunities to develop critical technologies, including artificial intelligence e semiconductors.