Trump Assigns Bessent, Greer to Lead Trade Negotiations with Japan; Japan Picks Economic Revitalization Minister Akazawa

By Hiroyuki Tanaka / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

20:00 JST, April 8, 2025

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday assigned Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer as the government’s representatives in negotiations with Japan over bilateral trade issues.

Bessent revealed his new assignment in a post on the X social media platform: Trump “has tasked me … to open negotiations to implement the President’s vision for the new Golden Age of Global Trade” with the Japanese government.

In addition to tariff measures, the yen’s value in foreign exchange markets and the Japanese government’s subsidies to domestic industries will also be discussed in the negotiations with Japan.

“Japan remains among America’s closest allies, and I look forward to our upcoming productive engagement regarding tariffs, non-tariff trade barriers, currency issues,” said Bessent in a separate post.

Akazawa represents Japanese side

The Yomiuri Shimbun

The government announced Tuesday that Ryosei Akazawa, minister in charge of economic revitalization, had been assigned to the negotiations with the United States over the U.S. reciprocal tariffs.

Akazawa is a close aide to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. It seems that Ishiba judged him to the best choice for the role in the comprehensive negotiations with the U.S. side.

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto had been in charge on those kind of negotiations in the past. However, future negotiations, such as those about tariffs on agricultural products, will require a collaborated response by many ministries and agencies.

Thus, some government officials have urged that the Ishiba Cabinet appoints a minister in charge for the upcoming negotiations.

“Considering [Akazawa’s] skills and experience, the prime minster made the decision [to select him],” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi at a press conference Tuesday.

Another apparent reason for the appointment is that ministers in charge of economic revitalization have been responsible for previous trade negotiations with the United States. Examples include the negotiations regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks with the administration of then U.S. President Barack Obama and those regarding a Japan-U.S. trade accord during the Trump’s first term.

Akazawa has been elected to the Diet seven times from Tottori Prefecture, from where Ishiba has also been elected. He has previously served as state minister in charge of Cabinet Office affairs and Finance Ministry affairs.