Commerce Secretary Talks Steel and Aluminum With Japanese Trade Minister

Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo met with Trade Minister Hagiuda Koichi Nov. 15, and talked about strengthening supply chains, export controls and cooperating on digital technologies -- and talked about how to cooperate to confront excess capacity in steel and aluminum. Japanese exports of steel face a 25% tariff in the U.S., and after the U.S. agreed to tariff rate quotas on steel with Europe, Japan asked to get a similar deal.

Raimondo said the two countries want "to develop with like-minded partners an Indo-Pacific economic framework to advance resilience, inclusion, sustainability, and the interests of our respective middle classes." In Japan, they believe the Trans-Pacific Partnership promoted more affordable supply chains, but the U.S. is not interested in rejoining the TPP.