Ishiba, Trump to Meet in Canada; Decision Reflects Persistent Gaps in Tariff Negotiations

The Yomiuri Shimbun

12:46 JST, June 14, 2025

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on the phone on Friday and agreed to meet in person on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit starting Sunday in Canada.

During the meeting, Ishiba and Trump are expected to confirm the progress made in negotiations between Ryosei Akazawa, minister in charge of economic revitalization, and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent over the Trump administration’s tariff measures.

The prime minister was considering visiting the United States on his way to Canada to talk with Trump about the tariff policy if substantial progress was made in the ministerial-level talks. Friday’s agreement means that Ishiba will not make that visit, and the decision is believed to reflect persistent gaps between the two countries with regard to the tariff negotiations.

During the 20-minute telephone call, Ishiba and Trump also discussed Israel’s airstrikes against Iran on Friday.