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US President Donald Trump Engages in Trade Talks with Japan
Image Caption: US President Donald Trump delivers remarks at a prayer service and dinner in anticipation of Easter Sunday at the White House in Washington, DC on April 16, 2025. — Reuters
WASHINGTON: On Wednesday, President Donald Trump highlighted significant advancements in trade discussions with Japan, marking one of the initial in-person negotiations since implementing tariffs on global imports, which had disturbed market stability and raised concerns about a potential recession.
Initially, Japan did not expect Trump to participate in these discussions, anticipating that they would be primarily exploratory in nature. This involvement indicates his desire to maintain a hands-on approach as negotiations unfold with numerous countries in the coming days and weeks.
While Japan had hoped to confine the dialogue to trade and investment issues, Trump announced his engagement in the discussions early Wednesday and mentioned that contentious topics, such as Japan’s financial contributions to the hosting of US military personnel, would also be on the table.
“It’s a great honor to have just met with the Japanese delegation concerning trade. Big progress!” Trump shared in a social media post that did not provide further specifics about the discussions.
Facing Trump was Ryosei Akazawa, a trusted advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who holds a junior cabinet position as the Minister of Economic Revitalization.
After their meeting, Akazawa told reporters that while few specifics were disclosed, both parties agreed to reconvene later this month. He also noted that Trump emphasized that reaching an agreement with Japan is a "top priority."
Akazawa added that the discussions did not address exchange rates, a concern previously raised by the Trump administration regarding Japan and other countries allegedly manipulating currency values to gain trade advantages. Following Trump’s comments on foreign exchange, the dollar gained about 0.5% against the yen. Japan rejects the allegation of intentionally lowering the yen to boost exports.
Akazawa met with Trump for approximately 50 minutes at the White House, followed by a session with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, which lasted almost an hour and a half, according to Japanese accounts of the meeting.
Meanwhile, Ishiba has previously stated that he does not intend to rush towards a deal and is not planning significant concessions. However, he spoke cautiously to reporters later in Tokyo, stating, “Naturally, these negotiations will be challenging going forward, but President Trump has made it clear that he wants to prioritize discussions with Japan.”
On Thursday, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to visit the White House to talk about tariffs imposed on the European Union, while Secretary Bessent has invited South Korea’s finance minister to Washington for discussions next week.
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