US-Japan Alliance

Economy

The United States and Japan share global and regional interests and cooperate extensively on international political, economic, and security issues. Japan is the third largest economy in the world and a major market for many U.S. products. It is the third largest foreign market for U.S. agricultural products.  Japan is America’s’ second largest market after Canada. The United States is Japan’s largest market. The two countries pursue bilateral and multilateral efforts in global trading relationships.

Security

The U.S.-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of U.S. security interests in Asia. Japan provides bases and financial and material support to U.S. forward-deployed forces. Under the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, Japan hosts a carrier battle group, the III Marine Expeditionary Force, the 5th Air Force, and elements of the Army’s I Corps. The United States currently maintains approximately 50,000 troops in Japan, about half of whom are stationed in Okinawa.

Under the ongoing process called the Defense Policy Review Initiative (DPRI) the number of troops stationed in Okinawa should be reduced. In February 2009 Secretary of State Clinton and then-Foreign Minister Nakasone signed the Guam International Agreement (GIA) in Tokyo. The GIA commits both nations to completing the transfer of approximately 8,000 U.S. Marines from bases in Okinawa to new facilities in Guam built with the assistance of Japan.