Japan’s senior tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, will head to the US on Thursday to participate in the fifth round of ministerial-level talks with the US. This will be Akazawa’s third visit to the US in three weeks.
On Tuesday, the Japanese parliament approved Akazawa’s visit schedule. Akazawa, who is known for his close ties to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and is also the minister responsible for economic and fiscal policy, is scheduled to return to Japan on Sunday. Following mid-level contacts, the new round of talks is expected to address US President Donald Trump’s recent decision to raise tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50 percent. The decision will take effect on Wednesday and was not discussed during last week’s talks in Washington. It is reported that the parties are trying to narrow their differences on tariffs ahead of the Japan-US leaders’ summit planned for mid-June.
