Japan PM Ishiba to Directly Appeal to Trump About Japan’s Economic Contributions in Phone Talks to Resolve Tariff Issue

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:47 JST, April 6, 2025

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will call attention to Japan’s contributions to the U.S. economy during bilateral telephone talks with U.S. President Donald Trump expected this week, if it takes place, to persuade him to reconsider his tariffs.

The government is making elaborate preparations to ensure that the appeal will resonate with Trump in a meeting over the phone, which is seen as harder to secure a sufficient amount of time for, compared with in-person talks.

“We are trying to quickly compile Japan’s proposal for the time being and present it as a package [during telephone talks with Trump]. If we are going to do it, I will make it a success,” Ishiba told reporters on Saturday in Osaka, where he was visiting.

Ishiba previously sent Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto to the United States in an effort to request an exemption from the tariffs. However, with no tangible progress, there has been growing criticism in Japan that the Ishiba Cabinet is doing nothing to address the issue. This spurred the government to arrange an Ishiba-Trump phone meeting.

“Only Mr. Trump can make the final decision,” Ishiba said, speaking on a TV program broadcast by Yomiuri Telecasting Corp., stressing the importance of direct negotiations.

The envisaged package to be presented at the bilateral meeting is expected to include an investment plan such as the development of liquefied natural gas in Alaska, as well as a review of the non-tariff barriers that Washington views as a problem.

That said, the tariffs are Trump’s signature policy, and despite the fact that the ripple effects of these measures are becoming increasingly serious around the world, it is unlikely he will readily scrap them.

“We must not let the United States become too isolated from the international community. It is not the role of Japan to criticize and fall out with the United States,” a Cabinet member close to Ishiba said, pointing out that Japan should act as a bridge to help bring about a soft landing for the situation, rather than going along with some other countries that have retaliated with their own tariffs.

“There’s no point in begging and saying ‘Please make an exception for Japan,’” Ishiba told reporters, expressing his intention to seek a comprehensive solution that takes the global economy into account.

A senior government official stressed the importance of first building a platform to enable the two leaders to communicate on the tariff issue.

“Whether it’s the oil shock or the financial turmoil triggered by the collapse of Lehman Brothers, we have overcome hardships that are on the level of national crises and are here today,” Ishiba said on a TV program about the difficulty of resolving the tariff issue. “After we overcome these difficulties, there will be a new Japan.”