--- title: "US buys Japanese yen for first time in decade to support currency at 40-year low" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/business/us-buys-japanese-yen-for-first-time-in-decade-to-support-currency-at-40-year-low" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-buys-japanese-yen-for-first-time-in-decade-to-support-currency-at-40-year-low" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/us-buys-japanese-yen-for-first-time-in-decade-to-support-currency-at-40-year-low.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-buys-japanese-yen-for-first-time-in-decade-to-support-currency-at-40-year-low" category: "Business & Economy" area: "Asia-Pacific" published: "2026-08-05T16:06:23.470Z" source_reported: "2026-08-03T14:04:00.000Z" updated: "2026-08-05T16:06:23.470Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 69 hype_score: 15 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" --- # US buys Japanese yen for first time in decade to support currency at 40-year low *Trump calls intervention a 'signal of friendship' as yen hits weakest level against dollar since 1984* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Named source (President Trump) and three independent outlets, but no documents or figures cited. - Craft 69 of 100, higher is better. Gives reason for action and specific names, yet lacks other quotes and detailed follow‑up. - Hype 15 of 100, lower is better. Headline asks why but body gives only brief explanation, no sensational language. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - The US purchased Japanese yen for the first time in more than ten years to support the currency, which had fallen to its lowest level against the dollar since 1984. - President Donald Trump said the intervention was a 'signal of friendship' with Japan, as reported by all three outlets below. - The timing of the purchase is disputed: one report says it happened on Sunday, another on Friday. - No left-rated outlet carried the story, according to the reports printed below. The United States bought Japanese yen in a rare intervention to strengthen the currency, which had reached a 40-year low against the dollar. The move marked the first time in over a decade that the US had acted in Japan’s currency market. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters, called the purchase a 'signal of friendship' with Japan. The yen’s decline had prompted concern in Japan, where a weaker currency increases the cost of imports. The intervention was described as bilateral, though the reports below disagree on the day it took place. Trump’s remarks were made aboard Air Force One, according to two of the three digests. ## When the purchase happened The digests disagree on the timing of the US purchase. WPSD Local 6, rated right, reports that the intervention occurred on Sunday. KBZK, rated centre, says Trump’s comment confirming the move was made on Sunday but attributes the purchase itself to Friday. KPAX, also rated centre, states the purchase took place on Friday. ## What the coverage left out None of the digests below mention the size of the US purchase or the amount of yen bought. No left-rated outlet ran the story at all, according to the reports printed here. **Coverage watch:** unwatched. Checked 0 times; 0 checks found a material change. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - Both centre-rated digests led on the yen’s 40-year low against the dollar and framed the US intervention as a response to Japan’s request for support. KBZK included Trump’s remark that 'they wanted a little bit of help. And we’re always there for Japan.' KPAX carried Trump’s description of the move as a 'signal of friendship' and asked readers for their view on its economic impact. ### Right - The right-rated digest from WPSD Local 6 led on Trump’s characterisation of the purchase as a 'signal of friendship.' It did not mention the yen’s 40-year low or Japan’s request for assistance, focusing instead on the bilateral nature of the intervention. ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [WPSD Local 6](https://wpsdlocal6.com/news/the-us-has-stepped-in-to-buy-japanese-yen-why/article_cb28f9c4-93c3-4d5f-acb9-2f6f067f969f.html) — The US has stepped in to buy Japanese yen. Why? - [KBZK](https://kbzk.com/news/national-news/the-us-has-stepped-in-to-buy-japanese-yen-heres-why) — The US has stepped in to buy Japanese yen. Here's why? - [KPAX](https://kpax.com/news/national-news/the-us-has-stepped-in-to-buy-japanese-yen-heres-why) — The US has stepped in to buy Japanese yen. Here's why? ## Questions **Why did the US buy Japanese yen?** The US bought Japanese yen to support the currency after it fell to a 40-year low against the dollar. President Donald Trump called the move a 'signal of friendship' with Japan, as reported by all three outlets below. The intervention was intended to address concerns over the yen’s weakness. **When did the US buy Japanese yen?** The timing of the US purchase is disputed. WPSD Local 6 reports it occurred on Sunday, while KBZK and KPAX say it happened on Friday. The disagreement centres on whether the intervention itself or Trump’s confirmation of it took place on Sunday. **Which outlets covered the yen purchase?** Two centre-rated outlets, KBZK and KPAX, and one right-rated outlet, WPSD Local 6, carried the story in digests. No left-rated outlet ran the story, according to the reports printed below. The digests focused on Trump’s remarks and the yen’s 40-year low. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/business/us-buys-japanese-yen-for-first-time-in-decade-to-support-currency-at-40-year-low. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US buys Japanese yen for first time in decade to support currency at 40-year low", https://mediabias.news/business/us-buys-japanese-yen-for-first-time-in-decade-to-support-currency-at-40-year-low