Defence Spending Excluded from US-Japan Trade Deal, Confirms Tokyo

Khabor Wala Desk

Published: 23rd July 2025, 2:32 PM

Defence Spending Excluded from US-Japan Trade Deal, Confirms Tokyo

The newly agreed US-Japan trade deal makes no provision for defence spending, Japan’s tariffs envoy confirmed on Wednesday.

Ryosei Akazawa, speaking to reporters, stated explicitly, “The deal does not include anything on defence spending.”

This clarification comes amid ongoing pressure from US President Donald Trump, who has urged Japan, a key ally, to increase its military expenditure. Prior to the announcement, there had been speculation that defence spending commitments might be incorporated within the broader trade negotiations.

Aspect	Details
Deal Participants	United States and Japan
Key Exclusion	Defence spending
Tokyo Representative	Ryosei Akazawa, tariffs envoy
US Position	President Trump advocates higher military spending by Japan
Context	Speculation of defence spending in trade accord dismissed

The absence of defence spending from the trade deal signals a separation between commercial negotiations and military obligations, despite Washington’s persistent calls for Japan to shoulder a greater share of regional security costs