So far, Mr. Draghi has avoided commenting on Mr. Trump, but he may become more outspoken after Mr. Trump’s tumultuous first days in office. On Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., the Commerce Department will release its estimate of the trade balance for December. While economists don’t expect much change in the trade balance from the preceding month, they will be watching closely for any sign of the dollar’s impact. Mr. Abe’s goal is to defuse accusations by Mr. Trump that Japan benefits unfairly from trade with the United States, partly by keeping the yen artificially cheap. That is especially crucial, now that Mr. Trump has said Washington will no longer participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, negotiated by the Obama administration.

Source: New York Times February 06, 2017 02:00 UTC