Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s lead tariff negotiator, will land in the U.S. on Friday to continue U.S.-Japan tariff deal discussions with key members of the Trump administration, reported Nikkei Asia. Akazawa is also mulling a fourth visit.
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At the same time, the two countries still disagree on several aspects of trade, such as the U.S.’ 25% tariff on Japanese steel, aluminum, and other auto parts.
U.S.-Japan Tariff Talks in Focus Ahead of Akazawa’s Visit
Akazawa said that the U.S. and Japan have been engaged in face-to-face discussions since Monday. However, “The relevant government bodies have mounted a considerably heavy response, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the center of it.”
Akazawa has also made it clear that Japan would like a tariff “reassessment or, in other words, the abolition of the tariff measures.” In 2024, the U.S. had a $68.47 billion goods trading deficit with Japan.
Japanese stocks have remained resilient in light of the tariffs, with the iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) up by 8% year-to-date.
