US-Japan Trade Deal Excludes Defense Spending, Clarifies Negotiator

The new trade agreement between the United States and Japan does not include provisions on defense spending, Japanese negotiator Ryosei Akazawa clarified to reporters. “The agreement contains nothing regarding defense spending,” Akazawa stated. This follows earlier calls by US President Donald Trump for Japan, a close US ally, to increase its military expenditure. Some analysts had speculated such a requirement might be included within a broader trade pact.