TOKYO, June 24 (Xinhua) -- The head of Japan's largest business body on Wednesday expressed concern over the United States' decision to halt the issuance of certain work visas this year that temporarily blocks some foreign workers from working in the United States.
The visa halt "poses a serious problem to business operations," said Hiroaki Nakanishi, chairman of the Japan Business Federation known as Keidanren.
He said in a press conference in Tokyo that the group is asking the governments of the two countries to take measures to prevent disruption to Japanese companies' operations.
Nakanishi expressed his concern over the U.S. move but said he believes it's part of U.S. President Donald Trump's election tactics.
The Trump administration has said it aims at making sure that American workers are first to get jobs amid a high unemployment rate in the country in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.
"We need to make the case that (the visa halt) definitely has a negative effect on the U.S. economy," said Nakanishi, who is also chairman of Hitachi Ltd.
He said that his company's employees currently working in the United States may be forced to cut their stay short.
He added that his group plans to urge both the Japanese and U.S. governments to work to improve the situation. Enditem
