Whereas the United States and Japan are allies with a tradition of working in close cooperation to support one another’s mutual interests; Whereas the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States of America and Japan, signed at Washington on January 19, 1960, which has fostered one of the most important and longest enduring military alliances, demonstrates the proclivity for strong bilateral agreements between our two nations; Whereas Secretary of Defense James Mattis, on February 3, 2017, reaffirmed the commitment of the United States to uphold the provisions of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States of America and Japan and stated that the United States will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with the Japanese people; Whereas Japan is a key partner to the United States in ensuring regional stability throughout the Asia-Pacific region, including by— (1) countering the threat from North Korea’s illegal nuclear weapons program; (2) advancing maritime security initiatives; and (3) promoting economic security through continued development; Whereas Japan is the world’s third largest economy, the fourth largest trading partner of the United States, and the second largest foreign direct investor in the United States; Whereas expanding United States trade with Japan has the potential to benefit American businesses, farmers, ranchers, workers, and consumers; Whereas Japan already represents the fifth-largest market for agricultural products worldwide, amounting to almost $14 trillion in exports annually, and this amount could increase significantly with reduced trade barriers and a more open United States-Japan trade relationship; Whereas a strong and economically vibrant Japan is vital to the stability of the Asia-Pacific region, which is in the strategic interest of the United States