Nikko Securities: Vicente's remarks are unlikely to affect the stance of the Bank of Japan

Yoshimasa Maruyama, economist at Nikko Securities, said comments by US Treasury secretary Vincent Bescent about the Bank of Japan's slowness on inflation were unlikely to affect the BoJ's stance. "This is different from the calls for interest rate hikes earlier this spring, which were driven by currency factors, and the key focus remains on when the BoJ will approve further rate hikes after assessing the impact of tariffs," Mr. Maruyama said. Kazuo Ueda, BoJ governor, has said he sees little risk of Japan's slowness in tackling inflation, while sticking to his stance of seeking further rate rises.