OAN Staff James Meyers
9:28 AM – Wednesday, April 16, 2025
President Donald Trump stated that Japan is set to kick off tariff negotiations with the U.S. in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, making them one of the first nations looking to test the president’s willingness to pull back on sweeping tariffs.
Advertisement
“Japan is coming in today to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and ‘TRADE FAIRNESS’,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
“I will attend the meeting, along with Treasury & Commerce Secretaries. Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!”
The meeting comes just a day after the Trump administration said it was presented with offers from at least 15 countries about trade deals after the president’s announcement last week of a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs.
Meanwhile, over 75 countries have reached out to request talks, according to the Trump administration.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who will be joining the talks with Japan’s top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa, has said there is a “first mover advantage” given the number of countries trying to hash out deals.
Before the 90-day pause, Japan was slapped with 24% levies on exports to the U.S. A 10% universal rate is still in place along with a 25% tariff for cars, which is a staple of Japan’s economy.
However, Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru said on Monday that his nation wouldn’t be rushing into any deals, and didn’t plan on making any major concessions.
Nevertheless, Ishiba ruled out retaliatory tariffs.
News of the sit-down, meanwhile, sparked optimism among some economists.
“I’m confident that Japan and the US will be able to work out a good deal that benefits both nations, opens more consumer markets to each other’s exporters, and accounts for the military aid we have provided to Japan for decades,” EJ Antoni, an economist with the Heritage Foundation, said.
“These negotiations are ultimately about making trade more free, not less. It’s also imperative that we continue isolating China from its geographical and economic neighbors, making Japan a key early ally in this process.”
However, Kurt Tong, a managing partner at The Asia Group consultancy firm, suggested the Asian nation could face difficulties due to the leverage the U.S. already has.
“The difficulty for the Japanese team is that the United States has created a huge amount of leverage for itself, unilaterally,” Tong, who is a former State Department official, said.
“The US is offering to not hit Japan with sticks, and Japan is stuck in a position of offering a whole lot of carrots. And from their perspective, it feels like economic coercion.”
The White House has already said it wants to resolve other issues with its close ally, including the amount Tokyo pays towards the cost of hosting US troops in Japan.
Stay informed! Receive breaking news blasts directly to your inbox for free. Subscribe here. https://www.oann.com/alerts
Advertisements below
