U.S. President Donald Trump’s most concrete step to rein in unprecedented budget deficits — sweeping tariff hikes — faces the danger of a legal reversal that would put the nation’s finances on an even shakier footing. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/14/economy/tariffs-trump-deficit/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #us #tariffs #trade #donaldtrump #budgets

General-account budget requests from government agencies topped ¥120 trillion for the first time for fiscal 2026, led by higher debt serving costs and social security spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/09/04/general-account-budget-requests/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #wages #financeministry #budgets #japaneseeconomy

Hours before arriving in the U.S., South Korean leader Lee Jae Myung has signaled difficulties in reaching a deal with Washington on its demand that U.S. forces in South Korea play a larger role in countering China. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/25/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-lee-us-trump-china/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics#leejaemyung #donaldtrump #usmilitary #defense #budgets #china #northkorea #southkorea #nuclearweapons #us

Voters in Taiwan have once again rejected an effort by President Lai Ching-te’s party to flip parliament, a setback that could deepen political deadlock and complicate the island’s push to ramp up defense spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/24/asia-pacific/politics/taiwan-reject-recalls-defense-budget/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #taiwan #dpp #kuomintang #laichingte #defense #budgets #china #pla

The Environment Ministry is looking to increase its funding to local governments to enable them to respond better to bear attacks, which are becoming increasingly common throughout the nation. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/22/japan/budget-increase-eyed-bear-shooting/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #bears #animals #environmentministry #budgets

Defense Minister Gen Nakatani and his Turkish counterpart have pledged to boost defense tie-ups between both countries as Tokyo weighs the possibility of purchasing drones from the NATO member. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/20/japan/politics/japan-turkey-defense-chiefs/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #turkeyjapanrelations #turkey #defense #drones #gennakatani #defenseministry #budgets

Following a trade deal with Seoul, the United States’ focus is now expected to shift to reorienting defense ties with South Korea as the two countries’ leaders meet for a summit that could reset their military alliance. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/08/10/asia-pacific/politics/south-korea-us-trump-lee-summit-preview/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #asiapacific #politics #southkorea #us#leejaemyung #donaldtrump #northkorea #china #defense #budgets #usmilitary #indopacific

The government on Friday gave cabinet approval for guidelines on budget requests by ministries and agencies for fiscal 2026. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/08/08/economy/budget-request/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #budgets #japaneseeconomy

Britain’s latest defense review highlights a growing gap between its military ambitions and economic constraints, as limited spending, troop shortages and political hesitation hinder readiness. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/commentary/2025/08/04/world/uk-military-rhetoric-fiscal-reality/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #commentary #worldnews #uk #defense #budgets

Did this week’s U.S.-Japan trade deal also involve spending on defense? Donald Trump seems to think so. Japan, not so much. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/24/japan/politics/japan-us-trade-defense-trump/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #trade #tariffs #shigeruishiba #donaldtrump #defense #budgets #sdf #usmilitary

A reduction of Japan's consumption tax is not a given even after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party-Komeito coalition lost its majority in the Upper House. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/07/21/economy/election-tax-cut/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #consumptiontax #taxes #ldp #japaneseeconomy #sanseito #dpp #cdp #yoshihikonoda #2025upperhouseelection #budgets #komeito

The Pentagon's No. 3 official has lauded Japan’s latest defense white paper — but that praise was couched in language suggesting the Trump administration will continue to push Tokyo to hike defense spending even further. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/16/japan/politics/us-china-japan-defense-white-paper/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #chinajapanrelations #china #pla #defense #defenseministry #sdf #defenseministry #usjapanrelations #us #elbridgecolby #donaldtrump #budgets

The international community has entered “a new era of crisis” amid China’s growing military assertiveness and U.S. President Donald Trump’s Indo-Pacific policies, Japan’s new annual defense report says. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/15/japan/politics/japan-defense-white-paper-2025/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #defense #defenseministry #sdf #china #taiwan #pla #us #usmilitary #budgets #donaldtrump #usjapanrelations

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted Friday that while Washington is asking Japan to boost its defense spending, it's more about capabilities than money. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/11/japan/politics/japan-rubio-defense-spending/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #marcorubio #defense #budgets #us #donaldtrump #shigeruishiba #sdf

Amid ongoing tariff talks, U.S. leader Donald Trump is again demanding Asian allies spend more on stationing American troops and for their own security — a sign that he is continuing to link trade with defense issues. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/09/japan/politics/us-japan-south-korea-tariffs-defense/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #usjapanrelations #donaldtrump #defense #budgets #trade #tariffs #china #usmilitary#leejaemyung #shigeruishiba #southkorea

A consumption tax cut has entered the political conversation ahead of this month's Upper House election despite the Liberal Democratic Party opposing such a reduction. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2025/07/02/economy/election-tax-cut-focus/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #business #economy #consumptiontax #taxes #ldp #japaneseeconomy #tariffs #sanseito #dpp #cdp #yoshihikonoda #2025upperhouseelection #budgets #komeito

Deep cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development and its potential dismantling under President Donald Trump could result in about 14 million additional deaths by 2030, a study published in The Lancet warns. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/01/world/politics/study-us-aid-cuts-deaths/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #usaid #health #donaldtrump #us #budgets

Germany is looking to quickly ramp up military-industrial cooperation with Japan, Berlin’s envoy to Tokyo says, amid a growing Russian threat and potential U.S. troop cuts in Europe. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/07/01/japan/politics/germany-japan-ambassador-defense-spending/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #japan #politics #germany #germanyjapanrelations #defense #budgets #sdf #russia #europe #indopacific

Trump and Senate leaders work overtime to secure votes for spending bill https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/29/world/politics/us-congress-trump-tax-bill/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #us #congress #taxes #donaldtrump #budgets

U.S. President Donald Trump joined a key NATO summit at The Hague hours after refusing to commit to its core collective defense promise, as allies aim to entice him with a pledge to raise defense spending. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2025/06/25/world/politics/trump-defense-nato-summit/?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=mastodon #worldnews #politics #nato #us #donaldtrump #defense #budgets #indopacific #europe #china #russia #ukraine #russiaukrainewar