Trump calls Japan’s Ishiba ahead of latest tariff talks
US president Donald Trump began a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Shigro Ishiba and discussed the customs tariff in general, just as the best Tokyo negotiator left the United States in another round of commercial talks.
The Prime Minister told reporters on Friday in Tokyo, Trump did not say anything specific to the customs tariff, while Ishiba repeated the current position of Japan on the fees during a 45 -minute meeting. Ishia said that the two agreed that they were looking for a person in a group of seven leaders in June in Canada.
In a separate interview with Kyodo News on Friday, Ishiba suggested that the June summit be like a milestone for negotiations.
The phone call between the two leaders was the first since early April when the United States increased its definitions against countries around the world, including Japan. The call indicated that the Asian nation is still receiving the president’s attention, although it seems to be behind other countries in concluding a commercial deal.
“We have been constantly requested to remove tariff measures, and our position remains unchanged,” Ishia said. “The president did not mention this.”
The Prime Minister said that Ishiba and Trump discussed a wide range of issues, including customs tariff negotiations, economic security, diplomatic and national security, with the president also explaining the results of his recent visit in the Middle East. The White House did not immediately respond to a request late Thursday in search of the call details.
“In terms of the reason for holding the meeting now, I can not simply ask Trump why,” said Ishiba. “The Middle East has visited and I think we have reaffirmed our commitment to continuing cooperation between Japan and the United States, including in economic security issues.”
During the invitation, Ishiba said he conveyed his hope that his next meeting would be between the manually chosen commercial negotiator Riozi Akazawa and his counterparts in the United States accordingly. Akazawa left for the United States on Friday in a third round of commercial talks.
Local media reports say that Akazawa is expected to meet with American commercial actor Jameson Jarir and Minister of Commerce Howard Lottenic, while Treasury Secretary Scott Payette will overcome the gathering. Akazawa plans to return to Washington again on May 30 to meet Bessent, according to the Yomiuri newspaper report.
The possibility of another visit within a week indicates that the last round of conversations is unlikely to conclude a deal. However, Trump’s invitation on Friday indicates that Japan may face pressure to approach an agreement.
The Ishiba government will provide a plan for Japanese companies to invest in the United States as part of commercial negotiations, according to a report issued by NHK on Friday, quoting people familiar with the matter. The public broadcaster said this plan will include billions of yen from Nippon Steel as part of its proposal to buy American steel.
The epic has continued to acquire US steel for 17 months so far. Nippon Steel has already reinforced her pledge to invest in the United States if Trump agrees to buy, according to the familiar people, but it is still unclear whether the deal has passed.
Nippon Steel told investors in a call earlier this month that they did not expect any official announcement of the deal from the White House until the legal deadline on June 5 for Trump to make a decision.
As with other countries, Trump slapped Japan with a 25 % imposition on cars, steel and aluminum and a 10 % tariff on board. The so -called mutual tariff is to be raised to 24 % in early July, except for a commercial deal.
Cars and car parts consist of a third of all exports to the United States from Japan. The auto industry is a major driver for the growth of the Japanese economy and employs about 8 % of the workforce.
Ishiba said earlier that Japan will not be subjected to its national interests by rushing to a deal or expressing an agreement that does not address the car tax.
“We must focus on investing instead of customs tariffs and our position remains unchanged because Japan and the United States will continue to create job opportunities in the United States.”
This story was originally appeared on Fortune.com
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2025-05-23 10:23:00
