Japan confirms hard-line position ahead of possible tariff talks in Washington
Japan on Tuesday clarified its stance on U.S. tariffs, saying it wants all new levies put into place by the administration of President Donald Trump completely removed, confirming a hard-line position ahead of high-level negotiations that might be held later this week in Washington.
“As we have repeatedly stated, we find the series of U.S. tariff measures — including those on automobiles, auto parts, steel, aluminum, and reciprocal tariffs — extremely regrettable,” said Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, at a news conference.
The stance Japan would be taking in the next round of negotiations has been unclear, with officials repeatedly calling for the U.S. to “review” the measures. The term was open to interpretation and possibly suggested Japan was signaling it was open to compromise.
On Tuesday, Akazawa settled the issue once and for all as the two countries prepare for a third round of high-level tariff talks.
“There is no difference in understanding between the prime minister and myself,” he continued. “My position remains exactly the same as when negotiations began: These measures are regrettable, and we are asking for them to be reviewed — meaning, we want them to be eliminated,” Akazawa said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told senior officials of the Liberal Democratic Party on Monday that arrangements are being made for Akazawa to visit the U.S. as early as this week, LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama said.
Akazawa said on Tuesday that the meeting is still being arranged, adding that coordinating with his American counterparts — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trade Rep. Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick — has been quite difficult.
“The three of them are quite busy, and it is extremely difficult to align the schedules of all three with mine. So in that sense, every time, coordinating the timing has been a major challenge,” he said.
The Japanese public has little faith in the negotiations. A poll by the Yomiuri Shimbun last week showed only 19% of the 1,072 people surveyed have any expectations for the talks, while 72% said they do not.
The two previous rounds of high-level talks between the U.S. and Japan have been cordial but unproductive in terms of concrete progress. The gap in their respective stances remains wide.
The U.S. intends to keep negotiations focused on the reciprocal tariffs — set at 24% for Japan and scheduled to take effect in July — while Japan wants all tariffs to be discussed, including the 10% baseline duties and the 25% duties on automobiles, auto parts, steel, aluminum.
Observers have suggested Japan might be intentionally stalling in the hope that the U.S. rolls back the tariffs on its own as economic and political pressure builds.
“What’s important is to achieve an agreement that benefits both Japan and the United States,” Akazawa said on Tuesday.
“We must not let the desire to reach an agreement quickly come at the expense of Japan’s national interests. We will continue our efforts with a view to what best serves Japan’s national interest and what is most effective among all possible options.”
Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato is set to speak with Bessent on currency issues while at the Group of Seven Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors in Banff, Canada, from Tuesday to Thursday, Kato said Tuesday.
He noted that the exchange rate would be discussed along the lines of previous conversations on currency, which was held in Washington last month. The two did not touch upon rate targets or coordinated management of the rate.