Today, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo began her visit to Asia with a series of meetings with the Japanese government and business leaders in Tokyo, Japan. Over the course of the day, Secretary Raimondo met with the Chief Cabinet Secretary, Matsuno Hirokazu; Minister of Economy, Trade, and Industry, Hagiuda Koichi; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hayashi Yoshimasa.

During the meetings, the Secretary underscored the importance of expanding economic cooperation among like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region, including through the development of an Indo-Pacific economic framework to advance resilience, inclusion, sustainability, and the interests of our respective middle classes. In support of the Administration’s broader efforts to strengthen economic ties with the region and U.S.-Japan bilateral engagement, Secretary Raimondo and Minister Hagiuda launched the Japan-U.S. Commercial and Industrial Partnership, a collaborative mechanism that will strengthen the competitiveness, resiliency, and security of the economies of the United States and Japan.

In addition to bilateral engagements, Secretary Raimondo also held a high technology roundtable with Japanese business leaders. During the engagement, the Secretary and roundtable participants discussed how the governments of the United States and Japan can improve the business environment, increase supply chain resiliency for semiconductors, and foster greater collaboration between the U.S. and Japanese private sectors.

Secretary Raimondo now travels to Singapore where she will engage Singapore government officials including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Additionally, she’ll meet with New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor, and Australian Minister of Trade, Tourism and Investment Dan Tehan, to discuss cooperation in developing an Indo-Pacific economic framework. 

She will also participate in a series of forums with Singapore and U.S. business leaders including a ‘Women in Tech: Seizing Opportunities in the Digital Economy’ event and the Bloomberg New Economy Forum.

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