Bessent to lead U.S. tariff talks with Japan, with yen on agenda

TOKYO — The U.S. has decided to put Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in charge of trade negotiations with Japan, with tariffs and currency rates expected to be on the agenda, Nikkei learned Monday.

Bessent announced his own appointment in a post on X that day, writing that President Donald Trump has tasked him and the U.S. trade representative to “open negotiations to implement the President’s vision for the new Golden Age of Global Trade” with Japan.