Japan confronts the increased price of US friendship

3 comments

1. Japan struck a controversial trade deal with the US, agreeing to funnel $550bn into American projects by Jan 2029. In return, it avoided harsher tariffs but still faces a 15% levy.

   The memorandum of understanding (7 pages, poorly drafted) gives Trump near-total discretion over how Japan’s money is spent, with the US taking 90% of returns while Japan gets only 10%.

   The document remains unpublished, fueling criticism that Japan was coerced into a lopsided agreement dressed up as “friendship”.

2. should have asked it back in the 80s

3. Japanese tariff MoU reads like modern Treaty of Versailles. And the latter resulted in many deaths.

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