Editorial

17:40 JST, January 4, 2026

The United States has always been the lead player in creating the order that has underpinned global economic prosperity. The current situation is that the country is now, after 80 years since the end of World War II, about to relinquish that role.

To prevent any further turmoil, Japan should take the lead and keep the free trade system from going adrift.

Free trade and the dollar-based currency system were the foundations of global economic development. The goal was that each nation would produce goods in its areas of strength, and by boosting imports and exports, countries both large and small could build mutually beneficial relationships.

However, this ideal has caused regret in the United States. The country’s president, Donald Trump, is driven by an intense sense of victimhood.

He claims that the United States has been exploited by China and other countries under the globalization promoted by the World Trade Organization, resulting in job losses and the decline of the domestic manufacturing industry — a narrative that resonates with many Americans.

This is probably why Trump believes unilaterally imposing high tariffs is perfectly legitimate. His second administration has stunned the world with far more aggressive methods than those employed in his first term.

Nevertheless, Japan and the European Union, among others, deserve credit for........

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