Keio U. Professor Yuichi Hosoya Says Japan Showing Good Example by Not Rushing to Conclude Trade Deal over U.S. Tariffs

Yomiuri Shimbun

15-06-2025

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Keio University Prof. Yuichi Hosoya speaks during an interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.
Yuichi Hosoya, a professor at Keio University, said that Japan's negotiating stance with the United States has been effective in that the negotiators have not rushed to reach an agreement and have not made easy concessions, in a recent interview with The Yomiuri Shimbun.
The following is excerpted from the interview conducted by Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer Hirotaka Kuriyama.
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It seems to me that U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to bring about a 'revolution' that he was unable to achieve during his first term after being elected with no prior experience in public service.
His intention is to reform the country's governance structure. For Trump, control by the traditional liberal elites of the nation is a 'malady' that must be overcome. The blocking of the entry of new international students to Harvard University and the reduction of federal government staff through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) should be seen as part of Trump's reform efforts.
Trump also believes that free trade is the root cause of all the ills that have led to the loss of U.S. jobs and the decline of the country's industrial competitiveness. He is trying to fundamentally solve these issues by shifting the country's trade structure to a more protectionist one. Trump's policies that seek to revolutionize the traditional governance structure and socioeconomic system are now causing confusion around the world.
The announcement of reciprocal tariffs by Trump must have shocked Japanese government officials. Normally, the United States has placed the great power competition with China at the center of its national strategy, so strengthening ties with allied and like-minded countries should be essential for the United States. The fact that the United States uniformly views countries with large trade deficits as a problem and treats allies such as Japan and South Korea as if they were 'threats' to the United States is a shift from the traditional position.
Trump uses tariff measures only as a tool to threaten other countries and attempts to make deals favorable to the United States. He treats tariffs as if they were a panacea, a means of forcing other countries to obey the United States, believing that Japan, his first negotiating partner, would bow to the pressure.
However, Japan has not rushed to conclude an agreement from the standpoint of defending the existing free trade system and the rule-based international order. Many countries are following Japan's example and negotiating with the United States without making easy concessions. For Trump, this must be an unexpected turn. Such a stance taken by Japan should be appreciated.
If the Japanese side can present a proposal that will help strengthen U.S. domestic industries and create jobs in the country, it may be possible for Japan to make the United States lower its tariffs or extend a pause in the tariffs for Japan. However, if the tariff measures are found to be ineffective, Trump may use a new threat to significantly reduce security measures for allies.
There is concern that such a measure could trigger a contingency in Taiwan by China or Russian aggression against countries seeking membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). As a U.S. ally, Japan is required to continue to persuade the United States not to use security engagement and alliances as a tool for deals.
Yuichi Hosoya
Hosoya, 53, earned his doctorate from Keio University and specializes in international politics and diplomatic history. After working as a visiting researcher at Princeton University in the United States, among other positions, he took up his current position in 2010. He has written books such as 'Rinri teki na Senso' (Ethical warfare) (which was awarded the Yomiuri-Yoshino Sakuzo Prize) and 'Jishu Dokuritsu toha Nanika' (What is self-dependence?).