The U.S. Treasury Department said Tuesday it has retained Japan, China, South Korea, Germany and Switzerland on a list of countries it monitors over what it calls potentially "unfair" currency practices.
In line with President Donald Trump's concern over the U.S. trade deficits with Japan, China and other major trading partners, the department said it "remains concerned by the persistence of the large bilateral trade imbalance between the United States and Japan."
The department issued the warning ahead of Trump's trip to Japan and four other Asian countries next month, increasing the likelihood that the U.S. president will urge Tokyo to reduce its trade surplus with Washington.