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 Tokyo seeks exemptions from the levies affecting autos, steel and other sectors.
"I want to take even one or two steps forward by always keeping in mind how to create a win-win relationship" with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, Akazawa, a close aide to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, told reporters Wednesday before leaving Tokyo.
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.
Speaking to reporters in Manila as he wrapped up his four-day trip to Vietnam and the Philippines from Sunday, Ishiba reiterated that Japan will continue to "urge the United States to withdraw" additional tariffs.
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 sources close to the matter.
In a bid to get Washington to review the tariffs, Japan is considering proposing expanded tariff-free imports of U.S.-grown rice and increased purchases of soybeans and corn from the country, the sources said.
In the auto sector, Japan is considering allowing a simplified safety and environmental screening process for a wider range of imported cars, according to the sources.
Tokyo is also prepared to discuss issues surrounding the electric vehicle charging connector standard mentioned by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in a March report as a nontariff trade barrier, they said. Japan offers subsidies for the installation of the CHAdeMO standard charging stations at commercial facilities, while the North American Charging System, or NACS, is widely adopted in the U.S. market.
Japan is also weighing up cooperation in enhancing the United States' shipbuilding capabilities, an area Trump has pledged to revive to counter China's growing presence in the industry, they said.
The proposed idea to increase imports of U.S. rice into Japan, however, has sparked concern in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party about a backlash from farmers ahead of the House of Councillors election set for this summer.
The country's domestic rice industry has been heavily protected, but the government hopes to get voters' support for expanding imports from the United States amid price surges due in part to a supply shortage of home-grown rice.
The government also believes the impact on domestic farmers will be limited as long as rice imports are not increased beyond Japan's tariff-free import quota, the sources said.
Bessent referred to how the upcoming elections could affect Asian trading partners' strategies, telling reporters at the White House on Tuesday that Japan and South Korea are eager to reach a deal before going to the polls "to show that they have successfully negotiated with the United States."
"They are actually much more keen to come to the table, get this done and then go home and campaign on it," Bessent said.
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.
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