Japan’s special envoy for tariffs, Ryosei Akazawa, departed for Washington on Wednesday to attend the second round of negotiations with the United States. The Tokyo government is reportedly preparing to offer certain concessions in an effort to secure exemptions from tariffs imposed during former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
According to local media, Japan may propose easing vehicle import procedures, increasing purchases of U.S. corn and soybeans, or continuing cooperation on the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) fields in Alaska. Despite being one of the United States’ largest investors and key allies, Japan has been subject to additional tariffs ranging from 10 to 24 percent on products such as steel, aluminum, and automobiles. The Trump administration had announced “reciprocal” tariffs on several countries, including Japan, but later suspended them for 90 days for all except China. Akazawa is scheduled to hold meetings on Thursday with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other senior officials. The initial round of talks took place in mid-April. Speaking on Monday, Akazawa emphasized that Japan’s stance of demanding the complete removal of the tariffs remains unchanged. “This is our goal, and we will not compromise on it,” he said.
https://japantoday.com/category/politics/japan-tariff-envoy-departs-for-round-two-of-us-talks
