What's Next For U.S.-Japan Trade? with Wendy Cutler

Opening remarks by Mike Boyle President at Kawasaki Motors Mfg. Corp. Featuring Wendy Cutler Senior VP, Asia Society Policy Institute and former Acting Deputy, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. There are more than 120 Nebraska companies actively involved in trade with Japan. Nebraska established its first international office in the country, the Nebraska Center Japan, in 2006, which serves as the primary contact point for Japanese companies seeking business opportunities in the state. In 2024, Nebraska exports to Japan totaled almost $700 million, with the country being Nebraska’s fourth-largest export market, the number one destination for pork and eggs, and the state’s second-leading foreign buyer of beef and corn. Japan is also Nebraska’s largest foreign direct investor, investing more than $4.4 billion since 2010.

This event was held on November 20th, 2025 in the East Campus Union

About Wendy Cutler

Wendy Cutler is Senior Vice President at the Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI), based in Washington, D.C. In this role, she focuses on leading initiatives that address challenges related to trade, investment, economic security, and innovation, as well as women’s empowerment in Asia. She joined ASPI following an illustrious career of nearly three decades as a diplomat and negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), where she also served as Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative. During her USTR career, she worked on a range of bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade negotiations and initiatives, including the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, U.S.-China negotiations, and the WTO Financial Services negotiations. She has published a series of ASPI papers on the Asian trade landscape and serves as a regular media commentator on trade and investment developments in Asia and the world.