After the preliminary trade agreement between the US and the UK, although US President Trump stated that a 10% tariff rate "could become the minimum standard," Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba publicly reiterated on Sunday that Japan will continue to pursue the goal of "zero tariffs" in its trade with the US, demonstrating Japan's firm stance on tariff issues.
According to several Japanese media reports, Ishiba stated during a television program aired on Sunday that Japan-US trade negotiations are "gradually reaching consensus," and remarked that his relationship with Trump is "unexpectedly good." He also noted that the trade agreement recently signed between the US and the UK could serve as a "template," but emphasized that Japan's negotiation goal should go further, aiming for "0% tariffs."
Ishiba specifically mentioned the issue of high tariffs imposed by the US on imported cars, pointing out that this will lead to increased car prices in the US, harming American consumers' interests, questioning, "For the American economy, shouldn't these tariffs be lowered?" He also emphasized that Japanese car manufacturers have significant investments in the US, and if high tariffs result in profit loss, it might affect Japanese companies' willingness and ability to invest in the US in the future.
Although Trump has stated that individual countries could be exempt from high tariffs if they offer special terms in trade, the current tariff on Japanese cars remains as high as 25%, with other products also facing tariff barriers of about 24%. US Secretary of Commerce Ludnick also reiterated on Sunday that the 10% benchmark tariff will remain in place "for the foreseeable future."
So far, the US and Japan have conducted two rounds of trade talks, with a third round scheduled to commence in mid-May. Although Ishiba had originally planned to reach an agreement with the US in June, a Japanese government source revealed that Japan has now adjusted its negotiation target to July, leaning towards "not rushing to reach an agreement," indicating that significant differences still exist on key issues.
In the coming weeks, the progress of US-Japan trade negotiations will become one of the focal points in observing international trade policy, particularly whether the two sides can converge on their positions regarding tariff structures and automotive exports, which will determine if the agreement can be reached as planned.
