Reagan Administration's Trade Protection Measures for Japan in the 1980s
Policy Background: In the 1980s, the United States has become Japan's most important trading partner. Exports to the United States account for more than 30% of all Japanese exports, while imports from Japan also account for 20% of all US imports. In this process, Japan’s trade surplus with the United States continued to expand, reaching a peak in 1986. Of the total US$150 billion deficit in the United States, the deficit against Japan accounted for nearly one-third. Against this background, the trade friction between the United States and Japan has continued to heat up.