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The Yomiuri Shimbun Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, right, shakes hands with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday in Washington.
By Hiroyuki Tanaka / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent
16:01 JST, May 4, 2025
WASHINGTON — The second round of tariff talks between Japanese and U.S. cabinet ministers showed a significant gap between the two sides, according to sources close to the Japanese government.
The U.S. Treasury Department said Friday, the day after the talks, that it “highlighted to [economic revitalization minister Ryosei] Akazawa both tariffs and non-tariff measures, the importance of economic security as national security, and other issues of concern.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also participated in the negotiations. “I remain highly encouraged by Japan’s fast and positive engagement with the United States and am hopeful that we can soon come to consensus across a range of key bilateral issues,” Bessent posted Friday on X.
However, according to the sources, the Japanese side requested a review of all additional tariffs imposed on Japan, including automobiles and steel and aluminum products. In contrast, the United States indicated that it would only discuss the additional “reciprocal tariffs” — an additional 14% in tariffs that is planned for Japan — and reportedly showed reluctance to remove tariffs on automobiles and other products.
U.S. President Donald Trump pledged in his most recent election campaign to make his “Trump tax cuts” permanent, and he is apparently hoping to increase tariff revenues to finance this. As a result, many believe that U.S. officials will not easily agree to the removal or reduction of tariffs other than those related to the reciprocal tariffs imposed on Japan.
On April 28, Bessent told a U.S. television program that there is a “standardized template” for tariff-related negotiations. This appears to indicate the U.S. side’s reluctance to grant exceptional treatment for any particular country or region.
Difficult negotiations are likely to continue for Japan, which is demanding the withdrawal of additional tariffs on major export products such as automobiles, on the grounds of its contributions to the U.S. economy through its large-scale investments.
