U.S.-Japan Trade Deal ‘Very Close,’ Says Trump, Without Evidence or Details

By Masaomi Shimosato / Japan News Staff Writer

15:50 JST, April 26, 2025

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he is “getting along very well with Japan” and that the two countries are “very close to a deal” in their negotiations over his tariffs. These comments were made to reporters as he left the White House to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Trump offered no evidence of progress or details of the discussions.

Japan’s economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa is arranging to visit Washington from Wednesday through May 2 for a second round of tariff talks with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other officials. Tokyo’s top priority is to seek a review of the additional tariffs on Japanese automobiles.