U.S. Expands Sanctions on Venezuela, Targeting Maduro Family and Oil Tankers 
US Signals Openness to New Trade Deal as Brazil Shows Willingness, Says USTR Greer 
Indonesia–U.S. Tariff Talks Near Completion as Both Sides Push for Year-End Deal 
Global Forex Markets Brace for Fed Decision as Yen Extends Weakness 
Bolivia Orders Pre-Trial Detention of Former President Luis Arce Over Embezzlement Probe 
Japan Weighs New Tax Breaks to Boost Corporate Investment Amid Spending Debate 
U.S. Intelligence Briefly Curtailed Information Sharing With Israel Amid Gaza War Concerns 
Wall Street Futures Dip as Broadcom Slides, Tech Weighed Down Despite Dovish Fed Signals 
Gold Prices Dip as Markets Absorb Dovish Fed Outlook; Silver Eases After Record High 
Thailand Moves Toward Early Elections After Parliament Dissolution 
Global Markets Slide as Tech Stocks Sink, Yields Rise, and AI Concerns Deepen 
Modi and Trump Hold Phone Call as India Seeks Relief From U.S. Tariffs Over Russian Oil Trade 
Asian Currencies Steady as Fed Delivers Hawkish Rate Cut; Aussie and Rupee Under Pressure 
Ireland Limits Planned Trade Ban on Israeli Settlements to Goods Only 
Fed’s Dovish Tone Sends Dollar Lower as Markets Price In More Rate Cuts 
U.S. Special Forces Intercept Ship Carrying Military Components Bound for Iran 
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is set to meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Tokyo on Friday, aiming to finalize a trade deal before new tariffs take effect on August 1, the Yomiuri newspaper reported.
Bessent’s visit coincides with the U.S. National Day at World Expo 2025 in Osaka on July 19, which he will attend instead of the G20 finance meeting in South Africa. The U.S. delegation will also include Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer and Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, according to the White House.
Japan’s chief trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, is also expected to hold talks with Bessent. Despite seven trips to the U.S. since April, Akazawa has yet to secure a bilateral trade agreement. The visit marks the first top-level meeting since President Donald Trump announced a sharp tariff increase on Japanese imports—from 10% to 25%—starting August 1.
Bessent’s arrival comes at a politically sensitive moment for Ishiba. Japan’s upper house elections are scheduled for Sunday, and recent polls suggest Ishiba’s ruling coalition could lose its majority. Having already lost control of the lower house in October, another defeat could weaken Ishiba’s leadership and empower opposition parties favoring tax cuts and easier monetary policy.
The trade standoff and looming tariffs are dominating Japan’s political discourse, with pressure mounting on Ishiba’s administration to resolve tensions swiftly. The outcome of Bessent’s visit could prove pivotal for both U.S.-Japan trade relations and Japan’s domestic political landscape.
