Maryland governor talks trains and trade while in Japan

Japan Times

14-04-2025

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore is keen on high-speed rail and lukewarm on tariffs, he said during an interview in Tokyo on Sunday, the day after a visit to the Yamanashi Maglev Test Track.
'We're big believers in transportation assets and being able to provide consistent and fast options for people to be able to go from where they live to where they work,' Moore told The Japan Times on the second day of a four-day trade and investment mission to Japan.
The governor explained that technology from Japan can help in the development of the Northeast Maglev in the United States.
If completed, the proposed magnetic levitation train line will reduce rail travel time between New York and Washington from three hours to just an hour. The first leg of the project will connect Maryland's Baltimore and Washington, and take the travel time between the two cities down to 15 minutes from the current fastest option, which takes 37 minutes.
While in Yamanashi, Moore received a briefing and took a ride on the Central Japan Railway maglev, which is run on a test track now and will eventually be used commercially for the Chuo Shinkansen.
Moore will be in Japan until Tuesday and then head to South Korea for a two-day visit.
The Northeast Maglev — if realized — would be a 'staggering change' for transportation in the United States, Moore said.
A project of such scale won't be easy, he conceded. Moves to initiate the project started a decade ago, and the work has to be done in concert with the federal government.
Identifying the priorities of the current U.S. administration, according to Moore, is still a work in progress.
The governor said his state has been clear about its interest in continuing to explore the feasibility of the Northeast Maglev, as well as pushing for an alignment of priorities with the federal government.
'If we can transform communities and transform an economy at the same time by increasing transportation assets into that community, it's something that I think is well worth the exploration,' he said.
Areas of cooperation between Japan and Maryland go beyond transportation, and range from agriculture to quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Moore said the state hopes to continue to grow this productive business relationship.
Japan is one of Maryland's largest international trade partners, with trade between the two totaling $6.1 billion in 2023, according to Maryland's Department of Commerce.
Japan is expected to be hard hit by President Donald Trump's new tariffs, which have been levied on almost all goods exported to the United States. Automobiles, steel and aluminum products have been hit especially hard.
Moore takes a test ride at the Yamanashi Maglev Test Track in Ogatayama, Yamanashi Prefecture. |
The Office of ​Gov. Wes Moore
Maryland farmers and port workers are on the front line bearing the cost of the trade war, said Moore.
'We've seen how erratic tariff policies and trade wars will have an impact on our import-export market, which is a huge market for the state of Maryland that we rely on,' Moore said. 'That's not smart economic policy, because you're hurting people who can least afford to be hurt.'
Tariffs are only effective when used as a targeted tool, Moore added.
'If a tool is not used smartly and sparingly, it's no longer a tool. Now, it's just a weapon.'
Moore said his state aims to 'control the things that we can control,' and enhance the business environment by offering consistency and predictability. One of the ways is to actively address regulatory and permitting challenges businesses face.
'What we're looking for — and I think it's the same thing that business leaders look for — is just an understanding of where we are and where we're going,' Moore said.
'I think it is about consistency and stability. And I think that's what the state of Maryland is really hoping to offer.'