US, Japan form trade partnership to strengthen alliance

US Trade Representative Katherine Tai elbow bumps with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi ahead of their meeting at the Iikura Guest House in Tokyo, on Nov. 17, 2021. - AP

TOKYO (Bloomberg): The US and Japan announced the formation of a new trade partnership to strengthen their alliance and coordinate on "third-country concerns,” an apparent reference to China.

The first of a series of meetings between the two governments is set to take place in early 2022, and the discussions will also cover issues including regional and multilateral trade, labour, the environment and the digital ecosystem, according to a statement issued by the office of Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who is visiting Tokyo.