U.S. envoy to Japan defends trade policies, say not protectionist

TOKYO (Reuters) – The United States ambassador to Japan defended his country’s trade policies on Friday, saying they were not protectionist and were aimed at creating a more level playing field for American companies. “The United States is the most open major economy in the world,” Ambassador William Hagerty told reporters at the Japan National Press Club. “Japan and other countries have benefited greatly from that openness. So I want to make sure that we don’t mistake our efforts to achieve reciprocity for protectionism.” Read more here