Overview

• Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba held a 45-minute call with President Donald Trump, emphasizing Japan's position to remove all recent U.S. tariffs on Japanese imports.
• Ishiba reaffirmed Japan's commitment to increasing investment and creating jobs in the U.S. as part of its strategy to secure tariff relief.
• Japan's Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa has arrived in Washington for the third round of tariff negotiations, with another round planned for May 30.
• The U.S. tariffs, including a 25% levy on autos and a 10% baseline tariff, significantly impact Japan’s export-driven economy, particularly its auto sector, which supports 8% of the workforce.
• Both leaders agreed to continue discussions during the G7 summit in Canada next month, though no specific commitments were made by President Trump during the call.