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Picking 1st projects for $550bn accord is ‘battle of national interests’: Akazawa
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, left, and Japanese trade envoy Ryosei Akazawa, pose with a robot during trade negotiations in Washington on Feb. 12. (Akazawa’s X account)
KEN MORIYASU
February 13, 2026 12:49 JST
WASHINGTON — Any project Japan participates in that will be part of the trade deal Tokyo signed with U.S. President Donald Trump last summer must make economic sense and not incur losses, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa told reporters in Washington on Thursday.