TRADE TENSIONS AND TARIFFS
Japan, an important ally of the US and its largest investor, has been affected by a basic 10 percent tariff that Trump imposed on most of its trading partners. This also includes higher tariffs on cars, steel, and aluminum. In April, Trump introduced an extra 24 percent “reciprocal” tariff on Japanese goods but decided to delay its implementation until July.
After five rounds of discussions, both parties are still far apart. Japan insists that all tariffs introduced by Trump must be removed for any deal to move forward.
“Our stance has not changed,” stated Ishiba.
Tokyo’s trade representative, Ryosei Akazawa, mentioned earlier to the press in Washington that “some improvement” has been made, but “we haven’t found common ground yet.”
G7 SUMMIT AND MIDDLE EAST TENSIONS
Ishiba expressed that the upcoming G7 summit would offer an opportunity to enhance discussions regarding the bilateral relationship. The leaders also talked about Israel’s military actions against Iran, with the Japanese Foreign Ministry noting that they reaffirmed the significance of “peace and stability in the Middle East.”
