Largest foreign holder of US debt revealed

Japan’s holdings of US Treasuries have continued to grow, exceeding $1.15 trillion in January, according to data released by the US Treasury this week. Tokyo has been the largest overseas holder of US debt since June 2019.

The report shows that Japanese investors boosted their stash of Treasuries to $1.153 trillion in January from $1.138 trillion in December. Tokyo has been on a buying spree since August 2023.

The two other largest holders of US government debt – China and the UK – have reduced their holdings.

China’s holdings dropped by $18.6 billion from December to $797.7 billion after two consecutive months of increases. Since April 2022, the nation’s holdings of Treasuries have remained below $1 trillion.

Beijing may continue to reduce its share of US debt in its overall foreign exchange reserves amid efforts to diversify its portfolio of foreign assets, according to a China Daily report, citing experts. The Asian nation has been trying to reduce its dependence on the dollar while promoting broader international use of the yuan.

Meanwhile, the UK’s Treasury holdings were down $200 million from a month earlier, at $753.5 billion, falling from a record high set in December and the first decline in four months.

Overall, foreign holdings of US Treasuries declined in January to $8.02 trillion $8.06 trillion in December. Compared with a year earlier, Treasuries held by foreigners expanded by 8.6%, according to the data.

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