Japan’s top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa, seen here in Osaka-Prefecture, Japan in July. His scheduled trip to the United States in August was canceled by the Japanese government. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 28 (UPI) — The top tariff negotiator in Japan canceled a trip to Washington, D.C., Thursday to seek a break on the Trump administration reciprocal tariffs.
The Japanese government announced Thursday that Ryosei Akazawa’s planned visit to the United States is off due to a need to rework the slated details in regard to the trip’s mission.
Akazawa has since been removed from the meeting, which will now only include Japanese officials.
Akazawa had expressed a plan to request that the United States lower its tariffs on Japanese autos and auto parts, and to ask that Japan be exempted from the stacking of tariffs.
He was also to meet with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to seek that President Donald Trump issue executive orders in regard to dropping the current 27.5% tariff on Japanese car imports to 15%, and any American imports subject to tariffs will face a levy no higher than 15%.
Akazawa had also been expected to discuss a promise by Japan to encourage investment in the United States by spending $550 billion toward fiscal activities.
AloJapan.com