US Senate confirms Japan ambassador as tariffs complicate ties

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed George Glass, a former investment banker and diplomat known for criticizing China, as ambassador to Japan, one of several U.S. allies that has asked President Donald Trump to rethink his steep tariffs.

The Senate voted 66 to 32 to confirm Glass, who served as ambassador to Portugal during Trump's first term as president.

Glass, who has also worked in real estate, was a top fundraiser for Trump during his successful 2024 re-election campaign.

When representing the United States in Lisbon from 2017 to 2021, Glass became known for warning against Chinese investments in Portuguese industry and criticizing Beijing for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Washington and Tokyo have long been security allies, with thousands of U.S. troops stationed in Japan, relations between the two countries have been complicated recently by Trump's new tariff regime, which some critics have said could push Japan toward China.

South Korea, China and Japan held their first economic dialogue in five years on Sunday, seeking to facilitate regional trade as they braced for Trump's tariffs.

Trump's decision to impose a 25% levy on auto imports, and a reciprocal 24% tariff on other Japanese goods, is expected to deal a huge blow to Japan's export-heavy economy. Analysts predict the higher duties could knock up to 0.8% off economic growth.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Monday he told Trump in a telephone call that his tariff policies are extremely disappointing and urged him to rethink.

Trump said Japan is sending a team to the U.S. to negotiate on trade.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Sandra Maler)