Posted on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 | 01:21

Updated 7 minutes ago

TOKYO (AP) – U.S. Trade Representative Katharine Tai and Japan’s Minister of Commerce and Industry agreed on Wednesday to work to resolve a dispute over U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum in a framework for cooperation in broader areas.

A partnership announced earlier this week will also include the development of a “joint Japan-US global agenda” for trade and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade said. and Industry.

The talks between Tai and METI Minister Koichi Hagiuda followed a visit to Tokyo earlier in the week by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Tai and Hagiuda also agreed to set up a bilateral framework for talks between senior officials of the USTR and Japanese ministries of trade and foreign affairs to discuss trade issues and verify “unfair practices related to third countries.”

The statement does not name these countries but appears to allude to China.

“For Japan and the United States, which share values ​​of freedom, democracy and the rule of law, at the helm of the world economy, it is essential that we strengthen our relationship of economic cooperation,” said Hagiuda.

U.S. envoys have visited the region as part of a first obvious push by President Joe Biden’s administration to quell the friction left behind by the Donald Trump era.

“In affirming the United States’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific, President Biden underscored that his vision is for an open, connected, prosperous, resilient and secure region,” Tai said.

The effort to settle the tariff issue comes as steel prices have risen as economies shift into high gear after slowing down during the pandemic.

At the same time, major economies have redoubled their efforts to try to curb excess production in both industries.

METI said in a statement that the two sides confirmed their plans for negotiations on the issue of tariffs and the management of global excess production capacity.

He said Tai and Hagiuda also discussed preparations for the ministerial-level talks of the World Trade Organization which are due to start on November 30 in Geneva.

Tai was also due to meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi for talks and a working dinner later Wednesday.

Trump has imposed additional tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminum imports, citing the need to protect US industries. This decision angered American allies in Japan, South Korea and Europe.

In meetings with Tai and Raimondo, Japanese officials said they were insisting that the tariff issue be resolved.

The US and the EU recently resolved their punitive tariffs dispute, with the US agreeing to increase imports from the bloc. The deal helped prevent the imposition of retaliatory EU tariffs on billions of dollars in imports of American products such as Harley Davidson motorcycles and Kentucky bourbon. These duties were to come into effect in December.

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Associated Press writer Haruka Nuga contributed.