Japan’s tough stance on US tariffs threatens to stall trade deal

By: bitcoin ethereum news|2025/05/16 17:45:05
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Japan’s unwavering demand for the elimination of US tariffs on its automobile exports is casting a shadow over ongoing trade negotiations with Washington, raising concerns about the potential derailment of a comprehensive trade agreement. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has clarified that Japan will not accept any trade deal that fails to address the Trump administration’s 25% tariffs imposed on Japanese car imports. These tariffs have significantly impacted Japan’s automotive sector, a cornerstone of its export economy, contributing to a $63 billion trade surplus with the US. Japan, the US’s largest foreign investor and closest ally in Asia, is eager to strengthen ties with Washington. The Prime Minister initially prioritized securing a spot at the negotiating table before other countries. However, Tokyo officials highlight that a deal is now unlikely to be reached before the late July elections for Japan’s upper house of parliament, which are already anticipated to be challenging for Ishiba’s already unpopular government. Japan shifts stance on tariff talks, seeking a favorable deal Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s minister of economy, led the country’s negotiators and met twice with the Trump administration’s representatives. Tokyo’s finance minister Katsunobu Kato also plans to talk separately with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a G7 meeting in Canada next week. Despite Japan’s strong desire to be the first country to begin tariff talks with Washington, the focus now is on ensuring a favorable deal, according to a Tokyo official with direct knowledge of the talks. Based on information from officials and analysts concerning Ishiba’s stance, he was forced to reconsider after facing pressure from business leaders and members of his own Liberal Democratic party to reject any deal that endangers the automotive industry or threatens domestic farmers. Japan’s initial stance is to remove all new US tariffs, including a 25% levy on imports of steel, aluminum, and automobiles and a 24% “reciprocal” tariff on other Japanese goods that has since been temporarily lowered to a 10% baseline level. One of Japan’s initial proposals was to tie percentage-point tariff reductions to the amount of Japanese business investment in the US. According to company and analyst estimates, the impact of US tariffs on the operating profits of Japan’s major automakers is expected to be around ¥2 trillion, worth about $13.7 billion, in the current fiscal year that ends in March of next year. However, actions like price increases may mitigate the impact. Japan’s economy contracted for the first time in a year in the first quarter. Japan presses for auto tariff relief According to a second Japanese official knowledgeable about the negotiations, the largest export market from Japan to the US is automobiles and auto parts. This implies that the auto tariff issue must be addressed during this US-Japan negotiation. The official believes that if the nation is not able to come to any consensus, it will not be able to make progress in this area. Among the best offers Tokyo could make to Washington are increased buys of American farm products, greater access to markets for American automobiles, and funds for a project to build a pipeline in Alaska for liquefied natural gas. Nicholas Smith, a Japan strategist at CLSA Securities, stated that Japan is now in a strong position. Shigeru Ishiba has his political career and that of his party to defend; he cannot just roll over. Smith added that cars comprised 81% of Japan’s trade surplus with the US in 2024. If he fails to win lower auto tariffs, PM Ishiba would be on a conveyor belt headed for revolving knives. However, Ishiba has said he will not cut Japan’s domestic agriculture sector, which employs many people, to accept lower auto tariffs. The extent of Japan’s influence in the White House was not known. Reliant on Washington for security, Tokyo had a goods trade surplus of over $60 billion with the US in the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Meanwhile, accusations from the Trump administration that Japan is intentionally undervaluing the yen have further complicated negotiations. Cryptopolitan Academy: Coming Soon – A New Way to Earn Passive Income with DeFi in 2025. Learn More Source: https://www.cryptopolitan.com/japans-stance-on-tariffs-could-stall-deal/

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WEEX P2P update: Country/region restrictions for ad posting

To improve ad security and matching accuracy, WEEX P2P now allows advertisers to restrict who can trade with their ads based on country or region. Advertisers can select preferred counterparty locations for a safer, smoother trading experience.

 

I. Overview

When publishing P2P ads, advertisers can now set the following:

Allow only counterparties from selected countries or regions to trade with your ads.

With this feature, you can:

Target specific user groups more precisely.Reduce cross-region trading risks.Improve order matching quality.

 

II. Applicable scenarios

The following are some common scenarios:

Restrict payment methods: Limit orders to users in your country using supported local banks or wallets.Risk control: Avoid trading with users from high-risk regions.Operational strategy: Tailor ads to specific markets.

 

III. How to get started

On the ad posting page, find "Trading requirements":

Select "Trade with users from selected countries or regions only".Then select the countries or regions to add to the allowlist.Use the search box to quickly find a country or region.Once your settings are complete, submit the ad to apply the restrictions.

 

When an advertiser enables the "Country/Region Restriction" feature, users who do not meet the criteria will be blocked when placing an order and will see the following prompt:

If you encounter this issue when placing an order as a regular user, try the following solutions.

Choose another ad: Select ads that do not restrict your country/region, or ads that allow users from your location.Show local ads only: Prioritize ads available in the same country as your identity verification.

 

IV. Benefits

Compared with ads without country/region restrictions, this feature provides the following improvements.

Aspect

Improvement

Trading security

Reduces abnormal orders and fraud risk

Conversion efficiency

Matches ads with more relevant users

Order completion rate

Reduces failures caused by incompatible payment methods

V. FAQ

Q1: Why are some users not able to place orders on my ad?
A1: Their country or region may not be included in your allowlist.

 

Q2: Can I select multiple countries or regions when setting the restriction?
A2: Yes, multiple selections are supported.

 

Q3: Can I edit my published ads?
A3: Yes. You can edit your ad in the "My Ads" list. Changes will take effect immediately after saving.

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