Japan to seek 3rd round of trade talks next week, sources say

By Yoshifumi Takemoto

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's apical commercialized negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, could question to Washington arsenic soon arsenic adjacent week for a 3rd circular of commercialized talks with the U.S., 2 sources with cognition of the plans told Reuters connected Thursday.

The day of his sojourn was fluid and would beryllium connected however overmuch advancement the 2 countries tin marque successful narrowing differences successful staff-level negotiations, 1 of the sources said connected information of anonymity arsenic helium was not authorised to talk publicly.

Japan is considering a bundle of proposals to summation U.S. concessions that whitethorn see accrued imports of U.S. maize and soy, method practice successful shipbuilding, and revision to inspection standards for imported automobiles, the root said.

There is uncertainty connected whether the 2 sides tin robust retired differences implicit Japan's priority, which is to triumph exemptions from U.S. tariffs connected automobile and car parts - the mainstay of its export-heavy economy.

"We volition question reviews of the scope of U.S. tariff measures, specified arsenic those connected automobiles, car parts, steel, aluminium arsenic good arsenic the reciprocal tariffs, that are profoundly regrettable," Akazawa, who is besides economical revitalisation minister, told a quality league connected Wednesday.

On April 2, U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a 10% tariff connected each countries but Canada, Mexico and China, on with higher tariff rates for galore large trading partners, including Japan, which faces a 24% tariff complaint starting successful July unless it tin negociate a woody with the U.S.

Japanese policymakers and ruling enactment lawmakers person said they spot nary merit successful striking a woody with the U.S. unless a 25% tariff connected automobile imports is lifted, fixed the immense interaction the manufacture has connected Japan's export-heavy economy.

The interaction is already evident successful Japan's automobile sector. Mazda reported a 45.1% driblet successful nett net for the fiscal twelvemonth that ended successful March, and held disconnected connected disclosing net estimates for the existent twelvemonth done March 2026.

During his 2nd sojourn to Washington connected May 1, Akazawa made a petition to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent for reviewing the 25% automobile and car parts tariffs, though the 2 sides could not scope communal ground.

While Japan was the archetypal large system to commencement bilateral commercialized talks with the U.S., Britain was the archetypal to onslaught a woody with the Trump administration. China besides agreed connected a truce with the U.S. successful a de-escalation of commercialized tensions that led to a crisp rebound successful planetary banal prices.

(Reporting by Yoshifumi Takemoto; Writing by Leika Kihara; Editing by Stephen Coates)