BoJ board member Takako Masai said in a speech that “outcome of protectionist moves in the United States as the downside risk that is of greatest concern”. In the short term, “growing uncertainty over U.S. trade policy will likely lead to a sharp rise in volatility in global financial markets”. This could lead to “adverse effects on the sentiment of firms and households.”
In the medium-to-long term, “if such protectionist moves were to increase globally, this may significantly affect the business strategies of global firms, and the subsequent impact on the capital flow of trade and investment cannot be ignored. ” Masai added he will closely monitor “whether the protectionist moves entail the risk of causing any imbalances in the global capital allocation.”
