Akazawa set to leave for Washington to hold tariff talks
Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa Ryosei is set to leave for Washington on Thursday for ministerial-level talks on US tariff measures.
Akazawa is scheduled to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday, local time. He said he will do his utmost to present proposals that take the US position into account and to gain their understanding.
Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru said in a government meeting on Tuesday that he wants Akazawa and other officials to accelerate preparations so they can move even one step closer to a result that benefits both countries.
Government sources say Japan has proposed boosting investment in the United States and reviewing regulations to make it easier to import US vehicles.
But the sources say Washington still wants Tokyo to come up with proposals that would help reduce US trade deficits with Japan.
Japanese officials are now considering more proposals that help bridge the gap with their counterparts.
Akazawa is scheduled to attend an international conference in France next week. He may hold another round of talks with US officials if the two sides fail to narrow their differences on Friday.
The Japanese government wants to hold intensive tariff talks in the hope that Ishiba will reach some kind of agreement with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of next month's G7 summit in Canada.
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