WASHINGTON, D.C. —Japan did not manage to obtain any short-term reduction of the U.S. tariffs on Wednesday. Following discussions between Japanese envoys and officials in Washington, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba commented that upcoming talks would “not be simple.”
Discussions between Ryosei Akazawa and President Donald Trump along with other high-ranking U.S. officials drew significant attention as an indicator of how Washington might approach talks with various nations affected by American trade tariffs.
“Certainly, the upcoming talks will not be simple; however, President Trump has stated his intention to prioritize these negotiations with Japan,” Ishiba mentioned in Tokyo.
Ishiba stated, “We acknowledge that this phase of negotiations has laid down a groundwork for subsequent actions, and we value that,” adding that he found Akazawa’s conversations in Washington to be candid and productive.
“Certainly, there is a difference between Japan and the U.S.,” he stated.
Top investors
Japanese firms are the largest investors in the United States, and Japan serves as a crucial strategic partner for Washington within the Asia-Pacific region.
However, Japan also faces the same 10-percent base tariffs applied by Trump to most nations along with higher duties on vehicles, steel, and aluminum.
In the globe’s number four economy, one out of every ten jobs is connected to the auto sector.
Trump has suspended for 90 days so-called reciprocal tariffs on a slew of countries, including Japan which faced a further 24 percent, but imposed them on China.
Aside from purchasing additional American products, Trump allegedly expects Japan to increase its acquisition of US military gear and take further steps to bolster the yen relative to the dollar.
‘Big progress’
Trump said on his Truth Social Network after meeting Akazawa that the two men had made “big progress”.
Later, the Japanese minister conducted discussions with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Akazawa informed journalists later in Washington that Trump’s administration aims for a trade agreement during the ongoing 90-day pause on “reciprocal” tariffs.
Akazawa stated that he acknowledges the U.S.’s desire to reach an agreement within 90 days, but added that they aim to accomplish this as swiftly as possible.
He refused to go into specifics about the discussions but mentioned that the strength of the Japanese yen was not addressed.
After discussions with Bessent and Greer, Akazawa stated that he informed the U.S. side about the tariffs imposed on Japan being “highly unfortunate.”
“Following my explanation regarding Japan’s perspective on how these policies affect their industries and lead to increased investments and job opportunities in both countries, I urged the U.S. to reconsider this sequence of tariffs,” he stated.
He mentioned that both parties were striving to come to an understanding “at the earliest opportunity,” with Trump and Ishiba set to make the announcement.
“Second, our aim is to arrange the upcoming consultation during this month. Additionally, thirdly, we will keep having talks both at the working group level as well as the ministerial level,” he stated.
“Based on the results of this consultation, we will continue to work together as a government with the highest priority and full effort,” he said.