U.S. Chamber of Commerce Hosts 61st Annual U.S. Japan Business Conference, Deepening U.S. Japan Economic Ties

Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Chamber's U.S.-Japan Business Council (USJBC) and the Japan-U.S. Business Council (JUBC) held the 61^st Annual U.S.-Japan Business Conference at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters on Thursday, October 10 and Friday, October 11.

Public and private sector leaders who participated in the premier annual forum for leaders in the U.S. and Japanese business communities include: U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Suzanne P. Clark in conversation with Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), as well as U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, President and CEO of S&P Global and USJBC Board Chair Douglas Peterson, Chairman of NTT and JUBC Chair Jun Sawada, and Japan's Ambassador to the U.S. H.E. Shigeo Yamada.

Deputy Secretary of State Campbell characterized the U.S.-Japan relationship as "without question, our most important partnership and strategic alliance, not just in the Indo Pacific, but globally." Deputy Secretary Campbell continued, "The first thing that I would underscore is that the economic and commercial dimension of our relationship has to be front of mind for policy makers on both sides of the Pacific [...] The group that drives us forward, increasingly, is the business community. It's as important as the security and political and diplomatic engagements."

Charles Freeman, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President for Asia said, "U.S.-Japanese commercial cooperation not only creates shared prosperity on both sides of the Pacific-it serves as a stabilizing global force. Our countries' strong alliance, anchored in the shared commitment to freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, advances the cause of free trade and open markets amid an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. Through serious and candid discussion, this Conference is deepening U.S.-Japan cooperation in the critical and emerging technologies of today and tomorrow, including semiconductors, AI, quantum, and biotechnology."

Following the Conference, USJBC and JUBC released a Joint Statement detailing policy goals promoting more sustainable, innovative societies, and a more transparent and rules-based international economic order. The Statement was accompanied by sector-specific annexes highlighting cooperation across the Council's five primary sectors of focus: Digital Economy, Financial Services, Healthcare Innovation, Energy and Infrastructure, and Travel, Tourism, and Transportation.