Rattled by Trump, US allies eye Japan's biggest export of arms

Japan's imminent easing of arms export rules has sparked strong interest from Warsaw to Manila, as President Donald Trump wavers on security commitments to allies and the wars in Iran and Ukraine strain U.S. weapons supplies.



Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's ruling party approved the changes this week as she tries to invigorate the pacifist country's military industrial base.



Her government will formally adopt the new rules as soon as this month, three Japanese government officials confirmed.



Despite largely isolating itself from global arms markets since World War Two, Japan spends enough on its own military - $60 billion this year - to sustain a sizeable defence industry capable of manufacturing advanced systems like submarines and fighter jets.



Among the potential new customers are the Polish military and the Philippine navy, which are undergoing modernization amid regional security challenges.



Defence contractors Toshiba and Mitsubishi Electric are hiring staff and adding capacity to capitalise on demand