As Japan cautiously awaits new U.S. President Joe Biden's policy on trade, expectations are that the new administration will continue to prioritize the protection of U.S. jobs and industries, regardless of whether it opts to join the successor of the Trans-Pacific Partnership or resume bilateral negotiations.
Trade talks are likely to differ substantially in style compared to those under his predecessor Donald Trump, with a new focus on multilateralism, but Biden is still likely to push for greater market access and make tough demands on trade partners to revive a U.S. economy hit by the coronavirus pandemic, analysts said.
Even if trade negotiations, especially those with Japan, are low on the agenda in the initial stage of the Biden administration, Japan will eventually face pressures in areas such as autos and agriculture when negotiations resume, they said.