Japan Embraces Bilateral Trade Talks with U.S.
On September 26, the Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, agreed to enter bilateral trade talks with President Trump after over two years of rejecting any offers for trade negotiations. The dispute between American and Japanese trading enterprises began after President Trump withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which set trading precedents through a multi-lateral trade agreement between roughly a dozen nations. Many Japanese politicians feel as though they have been "chased into a corner" by President Trump's demands in regards to the potential threat of a 20-percent tariff on vehicles exported by Japan. However, most analysts believe that the new trade arrangements will be less extensive than planned, with the main purpose being to increase the amounts of agricultural products and military hardware exported to Japan.
My Analysis
I personally believe that reentering an agreement such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership or using bilateral trading agreements under adjusted terms would greatly benefit the United States by increasing our terms of trade. Making alterations to our trading agreements will also benefit the partner nations as well by maintaining or increasing the amount of American products within foreign markets and the world market. An increase in the amount of products available to consumers would allow both foreign and domestic markets to reach higher, more extensive indifference curves, thus increasing overall satisfaction. Lastly, rejoining or making new trading agreements would support the profitability and sustain the exports of our foreign trading partners, thus allowing them to remain constant on their production frontier, one such example is the Japanese auto industry, which would export 200,000 fewer automobiles and experience a 2.2 percent decline in profitability if the United States imposed the 20-percent tariff. Renegotiating and reentering trading partnerships would greatly benefit both the U.S. and foreign nations: increasing U.S. terms of trade, increasing American exports and the variety of products on world markets, and stabilizing foreign industries are several effects of the new U.S. trading policy that will allow partnering nations to prosper.
I agree with Gradin in that it is a good idea for the United States to reenter in a trade agreement with Japan and other countries. I think it is in the best interest of the US terms of trade to negotiate a trade agreement that both the US and Japan can be happy with. After President Trumps withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, US terms of trade and specifically the trade relationship between the US and Japan have suffered. A new trade agreement will allow us to move toward a better trade relationship and terms of trade.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Erin and Gradin that the U.S. need to reenter the Tans-Pacific Partnership because President Trump and Prime Minister Abe would come to an agreement that would make both of them happy with each others terms of trade. Also this would boost their relationship with Japan and other countries to show that the U.S. is willing to trade with other countries as long as there is some middle ground with their agreements.
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