Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba declared on Sunday that Tokyo would not “easily compromise” in ongoing trade negotiations with Washington, as Japan endeavors to avert President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs of up to 35 percent on Japanese goods.
“We will not easily compromise. That’s why it is taking time and why it is tough,” Ishiba stated during a television talk show appearance. His remarks underscore the urgency and complexity of the situation as Japan races against a Wednesday deadline for trade agreements with the Trump administration.
While President Trump implemented a blanket 10 percent tariff on imports from most trading partners in April, he subsequently unveiled—and then temporarily paused—higher rates on numerous economies, including Japan, to facilitate negotiations. This reprieve is set to expire on July 9, indicating that the elevated tariffs will take effect if no agreements are reached with Washington.
Trump has publicly articulated his intent to levy significant tariffs on Japanese imports, stating he would “write a letter to Japan, asking it to ‘pay a 30 percent, 35 percent or whatever the number is that we determine.'” He has consistently characterized the bilateral trade relationship as “unfair,” specifically urging Japan to increase its imports of US automobiles and rice.
In response to these pressures, Ryosei Akazawa, Tokyo’s trade envoy, engaged in telephone discussions with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on both Thursday and Saturday.
During the Sunday television program, Prime Minister Ishiba reiterated Japan’s unique position as the largest investor nation in the US economy, arguing that this warrants different treatment compared to other countries. “What is unfair? How is it unfair? We need to examine each one” of the US claims, he asserted. “We are allies, but we have to say what we have to say. We are the world’s largest investor nation and the largest job creator (in the US). We are different.”
On a separate Sunday television show, Ishiba affirmed that Japan was “preparing to deal with all kinds of situations” when asked about his government’s strategy for addressing Trump’s impending letter.
