Japan, U.S. Agree to Speed Up Tariff Talks, with June Deal in the Cards (UPDATE 1)

By Kentaro Kuroki and Masaomi Shimosato / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writers

11:35 JST, May 2, 2025 (updated at 16:30 JST)

WASHINGTON — Japan and the United States have agreed to intensively hold ministerial-level talks on tariffs from mid-May or later, economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa said Thursday after a second round of negotiations in Washington.

“We made some progress toward reaching an agreement at an early date,” he told reporters after the talks. Akazawa has been assigned as Japan’s chief negotiator.

Working-level discussions ahead of the ministerial-level talks were to begin Friday.

On Thursday, Japan’s representatives met with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The negotiations lasted about 130 minutes.

According to Akazawa, his team urged that Washington reexamine the tariffs it has imposed on automobiles and other imports as well as its “reciprocal tariffs.”

He said that the two sides held concrete discussions on such topics as expanding bilateral trade, reexamining non-tariff barriers and cooperation on economic security.

“We were able to have frank talks on areas of interest for each side,” he said.

Currency and defense issues were not on the agenda, according to the minister.

Though he gave no details, Akazawa is believed to have proposed deals to reduce the U.S. trade deficit, such as by expanding agricultural imports to Japan and increasing the number of cars imported under a preferential certification system, in the hope of winning concessions from the United States.

Speaking about the next ministerial-level talks, Akazawa said, “We will have time to thoroughly examine any points that have not been fully discussed, as well as any errors, before presenting the matter to our leaders.”

Asked if he was expecting an agreement to be reached in June, Akazawa said, “I hope we can reach that stage.”

The United States is determined to steer negotiations with Japan and other countries to its advantage. Speaking over the phone to a U.S. media outlet Wednesday about tariff negotiations, U.S. President Donald Trump said: “I’m in less of a hurry than you are. We are sitting on the catbird seat. They want us. We don’t need them.”