Ruling, Opposition Party Heads Discuss Tariff Response; Prime Minister Ishiba Calls for Nonpartisan Approach to ‘National Crisis’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:00 JST, April 4, 2025

The heads of six ruling and opposition parties held a meeting on Friday to discuss how to respond to the reciprocal tariffs that U.S. President Donald Trump has announced he will impose on imports from around the world, as well as the additional levies on foreign-made cars that the American government introduced on Thursday.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, also president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, described these moves by the U.S. as a “national crisis” for Japan.

“We need not only the ruling camp, but opposition parties as well, to take part in discussing and dealing with [U.S. tariffs],” he said during the meeting at the Diet Building.

Ishiba said his government will set up a council of relevant Cabinet members to handle the tariff issue. The LDP president also asked the other party leaders to give him and his Cabinet some consideration in regard to Diet affairs when they make diplomatic visits to the U.S.