Akazawa vows to redouble efforts for tariff accord with U.S.

Japan’s top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, on Sunday pledged to step up his efforts to help Tokyo and Washington reach an agreement at an envisaged bilateral summit later this month.

“I will do as many things as I can” in the run-up to the expected meeting between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump, Akazawa told reporters.

Akazawa, minister for economic revitalization, made the remarks after returning home the same day from Washington, where he held the fifth round of negotiations with the U.S. side on a possible review of the Trump administration’s high tariff policy.

Ishiba and Trump may hold a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the three-day Group of Seven summit in Canada from June 15.

Regarding the view within the Japanese government that it is difficult to persuade the Trump administration to withdraw all of its tariff measures, Akazawa said: “The series of U.S. measures are regrettable. There is no change at all in our stance of urging the U.S. side to review its tariff measures.”

On the timing of the next round of Japan-U.S. tariff talks, Akazawa said, “I have nothing in particular to say at the moment.”