Three-way talks on financial markets to begin Tuesday

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Three-way talks on financial markets to begin Tuesday

TOKYO top officials from the Bank of Japan, the Ministry of Finance and the Financial Watchdog are set to meet on Tuesday to discuss financial markets, the ministry said.

The three-party talks are routinely held to indicate the authorities' determination to keep market moves in check particularly when volatility is high.

In mid-March, such talks tend to take place when the yen suffers sharp swings, either up or down.

Top currency official Masato Kanda, vice finance minister for international affairs, will brief media after the talks that start at 0830 GMT.

The three-way talks were conducted last year in order to warn against excessive weakening of the Japanese currency, which raises import costs and deals a blow to private consumption that makes up more than half the economy, the world's third largest.

A meeting held last year served as a prelude to Japan's first dollar-selling and yen-buying intervention in 24 years, as the yen depreciated to a near 32-year low against the U.S. currency.

A strong yen is usually a matter of concern for policymakers due to the export-reliant nature of the Japanese economy, as this would weaken export-price competitiveness.

A weak yen has fueled higher import bills, affecting Japan's trade balance into a permanent deficit and undermining Japan's purchasing power.

On Tuesday, the dollar dropped 0.03 percent against the yen to 140.4, just below the year's high of 140.91 hit on Monday.

Supporting the dollar, longer-dated Treasuries rose on Tuesday as bond traders welcomed a deal to suspension Washington's borrowing limit until January 2025 in exchange for caps on spending and cuts in government programs.