Tag - scott-bessent

 
 

SCOTT BESSENT

The U.S.-China trade war has escalated as both sides use economic leverage, with China asserting dominance over rare earths to retaliate against U.S. tariffs, while the U.S. seeks a collective global response and long-term strategy to reduce dependency on China's supply chains.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 21, 2025
This is what a real trade war looks like
China has leverage over trading partners every bit as powerful as what Trump seeks to wield.
The Sakhalin-2 project is vital to Japan's energy security as it accounts for about 9% of its LNG imports.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 16, 2025
U.S. expects Japan to stop buying Russian energy, Bessent says
Russia's Sakhalin-2 project remains vital to Japan's energy security as it accounts for about 9% of its liquefied natural gas imports.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato meet in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 16, 2025
Japan’s Kato calls for G7 unity over China’s rare earth curbs
"Japan is deeply concerned about these measures,” Kato told reporters in Washington on Wednesday, referring to China’s latest trade measures.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent delivers remarks on Wednesday on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Washington.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 16, 2025
Bessent says yen will settle if BOJ keeps taking right policies
The statement follows the U.S. treasury secretary's remarks in August that Japan’s central bank was behind the curve in addressing inflation.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a dinner in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Oct 16, 2025
Trump to visit Japan in late October, U.S. treasury secretary says
The U.S. president will visit Japan before he attends an annual regional economic summit in South Korea, though no specific date for the trip was given.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during a press conference in Washington on Wednesday.
BUSINESS
Oct 16, 2025
Trump declares U.S.-China trade war as Bessent floats long truce
The dueling remarks underscored the whiplash investors have felt as tensions have flared in the relationship between Washington and Beijing.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks during the Federal Reserve Board Community Bank Conference in Washington on Thursday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Oct 11, 2025
Bessent’s big gamble on Argentina has a narrow road to pay off
For the Treasury secretary's $20 billion bet to pay off, a lot of things have to go right — things that in the past, in Argentina, have tended to go wrong.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to the media as U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer looks on following U.S.-China talks on trade, economic and national security issues, in Madrid on Monday.
BUSINESS / Tech
Sep 16, 2025
U.S. and China reach framework deal on TikTok; Trump and Xi to speak Friday
It is the second time this year that the two sides have said they were nearing a TikTok deal.
Senior U.S. and Chinese led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang meet to discuss trade and economic issues in Madrid on Sunday.
BUSINESS
Sep 15, 2025
U.S. and China end first day of talks in Spain on trade and TikTok deadline
The talks mark the fourth time in as many months that the two nations have attempted keep their trade relationship from collapsing.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato reaffirmed in a joint statement their commitment to allowing markets to determine currency exchange rates and not targeting them for competitive advantage.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 12, 2025
U.S. and Japan pledge not to manipulate forex for competitive advantage
Tokyo has spent close to $150 billion in the last three years trying to prop up the yen with the last move in July last year.
U.S. President Donald Trump listens to Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent as he signs executive orders at the White House in Washington on Friday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 6, 2025
U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent calls for big changes at Fed
Bessent called for renewed scrutiny of the Federal Reserve, including its power to set interest rates, saying the "Fed must change course."
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chiese President Xi Jinping in 2016. Modi has said he’s looking forward to meeting Xi during a visit China later this month — his first trip to the country in seven years.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Aug 20, 2025
Modi hails China ties as Washington takes swipe at India's 'richest families'
New Delhi has been recalibrating its foreign policy more toward China and other BRICS group members after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to boost tariffs.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that a document on his country's trade deal with Japan is being prepared.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 20, 2025
Lutnick: Japan’s $550 billion will be directed by Trump
The U.S. commerce secretary said the funds promised by Tokyo in the course of tariff talks will be deployed to benefit the United States.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent believes Japan's rates are too low.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 14, 2025
Tokyo’s record-beating stock rally ends as Bessent jawbones Japan on rates
The U.S. treasury secretary argues that Japan has an inflation problem.
Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, said the U.S. made a clerical error in not including a “reciprocal” tariff rate ceiling for Japan in the trade deal.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 8, 2025
U.S. backtracks on Japan tariff calculation, taking effective rate lower
Japan's chief tariff negotiator said that a clerical error had been made in the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at the White House on Wednesday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 7, 2025
The United States imposes 15% 'reciprocal' tariff on most Japanese goods
Japan and the U.S. still disagree on how the rate will be calculated.
U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. He told CNBC that investment pledges are like signing bonuses.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 6, 2025
Trump: The $550 billion pledged by Japan is 'our money'
The U.S. president told CNBC that he is free to invest the funds however he wishes.
U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa. Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, is returning to the United States for another round of trade talks.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 5, 2025
Akazawa returns to U.S. for more talks as tariff deal looks shaky
Japan is urging the United States to cut the tariff on cars as soon as possible.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been talking up Japan's successful tariff negotiations with the United States.
BUSINESS / Economy
Aug 1, 2025
U.S. sets Aug. 7 as start date for Japan's 15% 'reciprocal' tariff
The focus is now on unfinished business as auto duties go unmentioned.
U.S. and Chinese flags flutter outside Sweden's government offices "Rosenbad" in Stockholm on Tuesday, ahead of the second day of trade talks between China and the U.S.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 30, 2025
U.S., China agree to continue talks on tariff truce extension
The Stockholm negotiations marked the third round of U.S.-China trade talks in less than three months.

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The byzantine process for converting a foreign driver’s license into a Japanese one entails mountains of paperwork and significant stamina — unless you're a lucky license holder from a country or region where these requirements are waived.
Driving in Japan isn’t hard. Getting the license is.