Japan’s chief tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said a second round of talks with the United States over its higher duties will be held Thursday in Washington, as the Asian country seeks exemptions from the levies affecting autos, steel and other sectors.
Akazawa, a close aide to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, told reporters before leaving Tokyo that he will make efforts to create a “win-win” relationship with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa speaks to reporters at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on April 30, 2025, before departing for the United States as Japan’s chief tariff negotiator. (Kyodo)
The minister in charge of economic revitalization plans to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and others during his three-day trip, where the auto and agricultural sectors are likely to be on the agenda.
In the first round of talks in mid-April, the U.S. side expressed dissatisfaction over the number of U.S.-made cars imported into Japan and has pushed its security ally to open its market to more U.S.-grown crops such as rice, beef and potatoes, according to a Japanese government source.
The United States has said the higher tariffs imposed since Trump’s return to office in January are aimed at reducing massive U.S. trade deficits and addressing what it views as unfair trade practices. Japan also faces a 24 percent so-called reciprocal tariff, although it has been partially suspended as negotiations continue.
In a bid to get Washington to review the tariffs, Japan is considering proposing an increase in U.S.-grown soybean and corn imports, another government source has said.
It may offer to take up excess supply created by falling U.S. exports of the two crops to China due to heightened trade friction between Washington and Beijing, the source said.
Japan is also considering allowing more imported cars to qualify for a simplified safety and environmental screening process, sources close to the matter said.
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AloJapan.com