Security Issues: Trade and Japan

security issues: Trump has assailed Japan for allegedly devaluing the yen to boost exports, grouping it with countries he says are taking advantage of the U.S. Despite the rhetoric, Washington which cooperates closely with Japan on a range of global and security issues has yet to make a formal request for bilateral trade negotiations in specific sectors with Tokyo, according to The Japan Times. In April, Japan logged a trade surplus in goods of 481.7 billion, the Finance Ministry said, marking the third straight month in the black. U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to root out unfair trade practices around the world and target countries, including Japan, that contribute to America's nearly 50 billion a month trade deficit. Overall exports rose 7.5 percent thanks to brisk shipments of chip production machines, steel and motors, while imports jumped 15.1 percent on the back of growing domestic demand. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been trying for years to rejuvenate growth and end an extended period of on-and-off deflation through a policy blitz of easy money, stimulus and reform. The government said last week that the economy grew 0.5 percent in the first three months of 2017, its fifth straight winning quarter and the longest expansion in more than a decade. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.