Finance ministers' meeting focused mainly on foreign exchange
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent held a meeting for about 50 minutes on 24 April US time. Based on past comments from President Trump and Secretary Bessent, it had been widely expected that exchange rates would be a topic of discussion in negotiations between Japan and the US, and Japan had acknowledged this possibility. Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa has been leading negotiations on tariffs, but the exchange rate issue had been designated as a matter for discussion between finance ministers during Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's visit to the US in February. Accordingly, separate talks between the two finance ministers were arranged alongside the visit to attend the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meeting.
