FT: US–Japan alliance faces serious crisis amid Trump’s trade policies

The longstanding alliance between the United States and Japan is facing its most serious crisis in over two decades due to the aggressive trade policies of President Donald Trump, The Financial Times reports.

Senior officials in both countries have raised concerns that Washington’s hardline approach—combined with Tokyo’s difficulties in adjusting to the evolving nature of the bilateral relationship—could destabilise cooperation and blur the lines between economic and security issues.

Christopher Johnson, a leading expert with The Asia Group consultancy, noted that Japanese officials feel increasingly alarmed by the unpredictable and uncompromising stance of the current US administration. "There is a sense in Japan that for the Trump team, nothing is sacred and everything is transactional," Johnson remarked, adding that such heightened anxiety among high-ranking Japanese officials is unprecedented in recent memory.

The last comparable crisis in US–Japan relations, Johnson explained, occurred in the late 1990s following the end of the Cold War. At that time, both nations faced serious disputes over trade and were forced to re-evaluate the fundamental nature of their alliance.

Other sources cited by FT highlighted a deepening atmosphere of distrust and miscommunication between the two allies. Japanese authorities reportedly anticipated that Washington would grant them an exemption from new tariffs on Japanese exports—an expectation that was ultimately unmet, leading to disappointment and concern in Tokyo.

Analysts warn that if tensions persist, the friction could spill over into strategic and defence cooperation, putting at risk one of America’s most important partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.

By Vugar Khalilov