TOKYO – The Japanese government wants to send its chief tariff negotiator to the United States for an eighth round of ministerial-level talks early next week, a source close to the matter said Thursday.
Tokyo is believed to have sounded out the administration of President Donald Trump for another round of negotiations ahead of next Wednesday’s deadline for its 90-day pause on country-specific tariffs.
With Trump appearing to harden his stance, Japan’s last-ditch efforts will hinge on whether Ryosei Akazawa can secure a deal that includes a reduced tariff rate on cars, the source said.
In rounds of talks since April, Washington has been reluctant to accept Tokyo’s request to withdraw or reduce the additional 25 percent tariff on cars.
Amid the stalemate, the Japanese side is seeking an extension of the tariff suspension deadline to allow talks to continue.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday expressed confidence that tariff negotiations with the United States are making steady progress.
“We need to cover a wide range of areas, including nontariff barriers. But we are steadily and certainly making progress on each of them,” Ishiba told a program on public broadcaster NHK.
“Japan is the largest investor in the United States and the biggest contributor in terms of creating jobs. Our hope is that this will be taken into consideration,” he said, underscoring the need for Washington to focus on investment rather than tariffs.
His remarks came as Trump on Tuesday floated the idea of raising tariffs on imports from Japan to as high as 30 percent or 35 percent, while complaining about Japan’s purchases of American rice and cars.
“I’m not sure we’re going to make a deal. I doubt it,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, calling Japan “very tough” and “very spoiled.”
The dispute over auto tariffs has been a key obstacle to a deal, with Washington pressuring its Asian security ally to increase imports of American goods, including cars, rice and oil, to help reduce its large trade deficit.
In return, Japan has highlighted its contributions to the U.S. economy and proposed a package deal that includes increased investment in the United States and cooperation on economic security, the source said.
Without an extension to the 90-day pause on part of the so-called reciprocal tariffs, Japan will face an additional 14 percent country-specific tariff on top of the 10 percent baseline duty the United States has imposed on imports from all countries.
The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the U.S. side warned Japanese officials during talks in late May that it might demand a cap on the number of vehicles Japan could export to the United States — a policy known as a voluntary export restriction, citing people familiar with the matter.
But Japanese officials held firm, telling their U.S. negotiating partners they would not accept any deal that preserves Trump’s 25 percent automotive tariff, resulting in a deadlock in the negotiations, the U.S. newspaper said.