U.S. Treasury Secretary BESSENT publicly pressured the Bank of Japan to tighten policy, saying he possesses “asymmetric information” about the BOJ’s next move and calling himself the “bookie.” Speaking at a Texas university, the former hedge-fund trader said he broadly knows what “Japanese policymakers” plan but gave no specifics. Markets are pricing a 25bp BOJ hike next week; the comments increase pressure on Governor Ueda to signal a sufficiently hawkish path or risk volatility and erasure of

U.S. Treasury Secretary BESSENT publicly pressured the Bank of Japan to tighten policy, saying he possesses “asymmetric information” about the BOJ’s next move and calling himself the “bookie.” Speaking at a Texas university, the former hedge-fund trader said he broadly knows what “Japanese policymakers” plan but gave no specifics. Markets are pricing a 25bp BOJ hike next week; the comments increase pressure on Governor Ueda to signal a sufficiently hawkish path or risk volatility and erasure of recent yen gains. Last week BESSENT urged Japanese officials to “do the right thing” on rates. The remarks underscore unusually direct U.S. involvement in Japanese policy; Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasuries. In late July he coordinated a joint intervention with Japan’s finance minister—the first since 1998—to support the yen.