Japan tariff negotiator held "in-depth" talks with Lutnick, Japan government says
He expressed doubt that a deal could be reached with Japan on Tuesday, and suggested he could impose a tariff of 30 percent or 35 percent on imports from Japan, well above the 24 percent tariff rate he announced on Apr 2.
Japanese Prime Minster Shigeru Ishiba on Wednesday said he was determined to protect his country's national interests as trade negotiations with the US struggled, noting that his country was the largest investor in the United States.
Tokyo has yet to secure a trade deal after nearly three months of negotiations as it scrambles to find ways to get Washington to exempt Japan's automakers from 25 percent automobile industry-specific tariffs, which are hurting the country's manufacturing sector.
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