Japan just pulled out the sharpest blade it’s got in the drawer — $1.13 trillion in US Treasury bonds. That’s what Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato waved in America’s face on Friday, right on national television.
Asked if Japan would ever use its role as the world’s biggest foreign holder of US government debt as a weapon in trade talks with President Donald Trump’s administration, Kato didn’t blink. He said, “It does exist as a card,” and tossed that line like a lit match. “Whether or not we use that card is a different decision.”
This wasn’t some offhand comment either. Japan has always avoided even talking about dumping Treasuries. But now, with Trump throwing around “reciprocal” tariffs like candy since April 2, Tokyo’s keeping its options open.
That tariff stunt already sent US markets into a tailspin. Treasury yields spiked, bonds got dumped, and traders panicked. After the chaos, Trump paused the tariffs for 90 days, but of course, the damage was already done.
Japan uses bond threat to push back on Trump’s tariff war
Kato’s words landed hours after Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s top trade negotiator, wrapped up another tense meeting in Washington. He sat down with Scott Bessent, Trump’s Treasury Secretary, and other White House officials.
No details were made public, but diplomatic sources say they talked about US car imports, energy, and agriculture deals. The trade surplus with the US is a long-time sore spot, and Trump wants it cut—fast.
The Japanese side might consider buying more American gas and farm goods. But that’s not happening without a fight. Kato, who met Bessent personally in the last week of April, is one of the key guys in this whole thing. And he’s clearly had enough.
Analysts are calling it what it is: a warning shot. Nicholas Smith, chief Japan strategist at CLSA, said, “This is a street fight. Promising not to use one of your strongest, most brutal weapons would be both naive and reckless. You don’t need to use the weapon—just brandish it.” And that’s exactly what Kato did.
It’s not just about Japan either. If China, which also holds a mountain of Treasuries, jumps in with a similar threat, the US bond market is screwed. Between Japan’s stash and China’s, the leverage is real. With Japan leading the charge now, they’ve opened the door to something much bigger.
The prime minister of Japan has already called Trump’s trade war a “national crisis.” Kato taking this public shows just how fed up he and his top guys are. Jesper Koll, director at Monex Group, called the move shocking, especially from someone as careful as Kato.
“The fact that the usually extremely guarded and diplomatic finance minister spoke up on national TV about what is arguably Japan’s biggest asset in dealing with America confirms the growing confidence of Japan’s elite in their dealings with the US,” Koll said.
Negotiations between Akazawa and the Trump team are expected to ramp up through May, with a possible deal on the table by June. But Japan’s now fighting back with sharp elbows. They’re not just asking for “fairness.”
They’re saying: Touch us again, and we torch the bond market.
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