- The Japanese prime minister urged President Trump to reconsider tariffs on Japan.
- President Trump and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had a phone call on trade.
- The U.S. treasury secretary and U.S. trade representative will lead talks with Japan.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba urged President Donald Trump to lower tariffs against Japan in a phone call Monday but acknowledged a deal “won’t come overnight.”
“I’ve told the president that Japan has been the biggest investor in the United States for five straight years and the tariff policies could hurt Japanese companies’ investment capabilities,” Ishiba told reporters after the call with Trump, per Reuters.
Japan is set to be hit with a 24% tariff on its exports to the U.S. starting Wednesday. A 25% tariff on automobiles made in Japan is already in place.
Trump told reporters Monday that he is not considering a pause on the global tariffs he announced last week, CNN reported.
“Well, we’re not looking at that. We have many, many countries that are coming to negotiate deals with us. And they’re going to be fair deals. And certain cases, they’re going to be paying substantial tariffs. They’ll be fair deals. As you know, I spoke this morning with the prime minister of Japan, and we had a very good conversation,” the president said.
Asked about the mixed messaging from his administration on tariff negotiation, the president claimed that “they can both be true.”
“It could be they can both be true. There can be permanent tariffs, and there can also be negotiations because there are things that we need beyond tariffs,” the president said.
Trade negotiations
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on social media that he and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will lead the negotiation with Japan on trade.
“Following a very constructive phone discussion with the Government of Japan, @POTUS @realDonaldTrump has tasked me and @USTradeRep to open negotiations to implement the President’s vision for the new Golden Age of Global Trade with @JPN_PMO Shigeru Ishiba and his Cabinet,” Bessent posted Monday on X.
According to a readout of the call from the Japanese prime minister’s office, Ishiba “expressed strong concerns” that the tariffs could weaken the capacity of Japanese companies to continue investing in the U.S. He said that instead of imposing tariffs, both countries should pursue efforts that provide mutual benefits.
Ishiba, according to the readout, “urged a reconsideration” of Trump’s tariffs and encouraged “broader cooperation” between the two countries in a way “that benefits both Japan and the United States in a mutual manner, including enhancement of investment, rather than imposing tariffs,” The Hill reported.
“The two leaders confirmed that they will continue to have candid and constructive discussions,” the readout added.