Readout from Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent’s Meeting with Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama of Japan

TOKYO – Yesterday, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent met with Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama of Japan. Secretary Bessent shared with Minister Katayama his strong confidence in the US-Japan alliance and to the opportunities for positive engagement between the Secretary and Minister in the months ahead.The Secretary was glad to hear the Minister’s perspective on Japanese fiscal measures under consideration, and expressed his eagerness to learn more as the full package is worked out so as to better understand the potential impact.During their discussions, Secretary Bessent highlighted the important role of sound monetary policy formulation and communication in anchoring inflation expectations and preventing excess exchange rate volatility, as conditions are substantially different twelve years after the introduction of Abenomics.The Secretary hailed the Minister’s outstanding work on deregulation in her previous cabinet position and shared his firm belief that she can continue to drive productivity gains in the Japanese economy.###