Negotiators visited the US 7 times without success. Japanese senior officials admitted: It is “quite difficult” to reach an agreement before August

The Japanese government held a countermeasures meeting in response to US tariffs at the Prime Minister’s Office this morning (8th). Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba instructed relevant cabinet members to speed up negotiations with the US. The Yomiuri newspaper reported that since the Minister of Economic Revitalization Masaaki Akasawa, who is in charge of the negotiations, has visited the US seven times and still has not reached a consensus, senior government officials pointed out that it is “probably quite difficult” to complete the agreement before August.

The Yomiuri newspaper reported that Ishiba said at the meeting that he had officially received a letter from US President Trump notifying him of the new tariff rate, which was “really regrettable.” He pointed out that considering that automobiles are Japan’s core industry, there are still differences between Japan and the United States.

However, the prime minister emphasized that there has been “some progress” in the past negotiations and revealed that the US side explained that “the content of the letter may be reviewed based on Japan’s response.” In an interview with reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office after the meeting, the prime minister said that he would use the new deadline of August as a target to promote the Japan-US agreement and strive to achieve a consensus that is beneficial to both Japan and the United States while protecting Japan’s national interests.

At a press conference this morning, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoshiharu Muto said that for domestic industries such as automobiles that are affected by tariffs, the government “will understand the scope of impact and take necessary countermeasures without hesitation.”

The Trump administration launched measures to impose a 25% tariff on imported cars in April. The Japanese government asked the United States to review a series of tariff policies such as reciprocal tariffs, steel and aluminum products, and listed the reduction of automobile tariffs as the top priority in negotiations. For this reason, Akazawa Ryomasa has visited the United States seven times since April to participate in ministerial consultations, but has been unable to bridge the differences between the two sides. Senior government officials pointed out that it may be difficult to complete the agreement before August.