Japan Signals Willingness to Weaponize $1 Trillion Treasury Holdings in Trump Trade Talks

Japan has broken its long-standing taboo on discussing the liquidation of US Treasury holdings, with Vice Finance Minister Kato explicitly acknowledging the option as leverage in trade negotiations with the Trump administration. The threat comes as reciprocal tariffs announced April 2 already triggered a Treasury market rout, sending yields spiking and forcing a 90-day negotiation window.

Market fragility was exposed when mere tariff threats caused panicked bond dumping. Now Tokyo’s unprecedented willingness to discuss its "card" - $1.1 trillion in Treasuries as the world’s largest foreign holder - introduces systemic risk that could dwarf April’s volatility. The calculus has changed: where Japan once avoided even verbal intervention, it now openly keeps all options on the table.