Japan's top negotiator, US Commerce chief hold phone talks
The Japanese government said the two officials talked over the phone for about 45 minutes on Thursday morning Japan time.
The talks came after US President Donald Trump indicated that Washington will start imposing a 25-percent tariff on Japanese imports starting August 1 as notified in his letter, unless Japan opens up its market.
Both sides reaffirmed their respective positions on US tariff measures and agreed to continue dialogue.
On Thursday evening, Akazawa reported the progress of tariff negotiations with the US to Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa at the Prime Minister's Office.
Akazawa told reporters after the meeting that he had received various instructions from Ishiba, but he declined to provide details.
Regarding the August 1 deadline for what Trump calls "reciprocal" tariffs, Akazawa said Japan has national interests that cannot be compromised and that no concessions will be made even though a specific deadline has been set.
He went on to say that Japan will continue efforts to find common ground, on which both countries will be able to agree.
Meanwhile, Japanese government officials said the prime minister is expected to meet US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday. Bessent will visit Japan as part of a US delegation visiting the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
29 minutes ago
Akazawa Urges U.S. to Cut Auto Tariff Early
News from Japan Economy Aug 7, 2025 09:36 (JST) Washington, Aug. 6 (Jiji Press)--Japanese economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa urged the United States to cut its automotive tariff at an early date, during a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington on Wednesday. Washington agreed to lower its levy on vehicles and auto parts imported from Japan to 15 pct from 27.5 pct under its trade deal struck with Tokyo last month. During the 90-minute meeting with Lutnick, Akazawa, Japan's chief negotiator for tariff talks with the United States, urged the U.S. side to issue an executive order at an early date to cut the tariff as agreed under the deal. "We asked them to take necessary measures to promptly implement the agreement," he said. Under the deal, the United States also agreed to set its blanket reciprocal tariffs on Japanese imports at 15 pct. Akazawa also urged Lutnick to put the agreement in place swiftly. The ministers confirmed the importance of working to benefit both countries under the Japan-U.S. agreement, the Japanese government said in a statement. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
Japan Today
29 minutes ago
- Japan Today
Trump plans 100% tariff on computer chips, unless companies build in U.S.
President Donald Trump makes an announcement about Apple in the Oval Office, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) By JOSH BOAK and MICHAEL LIEDTKE President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will impose a 100% tariff on computer chips, raising the specter of higher prices for electronics, autos, household appliances and other essential products dependent on the processors powering the digital age. 'We'll be putting a tariff of approximately 100% on chips and semiconductors,' Trump said in the Oval Office while meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook. "But if you're building in the United States of America, there's no charge." The announcement came more than three months after Trump temporarily exempted most electronics from his administration's most onerous tariffs. The Republican president said companies that make computer chips in the U.S. would be spared the import tax. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a shortage of computer chips increased the price of autos and contributed to higher inflation. Investors seemed to interpret the potential tariff exemptions as a positive for Apple and other major tech companies that have been making huge financial commitments to manufacture more chips and other components in the U.S.. Big Tech already has made collective commitments to invest about $1.5 trillion in the U.S. since Trump moved back into the White House in January. That figure includes a $600 billion promise from Apple after the iPhone maker boosted its commitment by tacking another $100 billion on to a previous commitment made in February. Now the question is whether the deal brokered between Cook and Trump will be enough to insulate the millions of iPhones made in China and India from the tariffs that the administration has already imposed and reduce the pressure on the company to raise prices on the new models expected to be unveiled next month. Wall Street certainly seems to think so. After Apple's stock price gained 5% in Wednesday regular trading sessions, the shares rose by another 3% in extended trading after Trump announced some tech companies won't be hit with the latest tariffs while Cook stood alongside him. The shares of AI chipmaker Nvidia, which also has recently made big commitments to the U.S., rose slightly in extended trading to add to the $1 trillion gain in market value the Silicon Valley company has made since the start of Trump's second administration. The stock price of computer chip pioneer Intel, which has fallen on hard times, also climbed in extended trading. Inquiries sent to chip makers Nvidia and Intel were not immediately answered. The chip industry's main trade group, the Semiconductor Industry Association, declined to comment on Trump's latest tariffs. Demand for computer chips has been climbing worldwide, with sales increasing 19.6% in the year-ended in June, according to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics organization. Trump's tariff threats mark a significant break from existing plans to revive computer chip production in the U.S. that were drawn up during the administration of President Joe Biden. Since taking over from Biden, Trump has been deploying tariffs to incentivize more domestic production. Essentially, the president is betting that the threat of dramatically higher chip costs would force most companies to open factories domestically, despite the risk that tariffs could squeeze corporate profits and push up prices for mobile phones, TVs and refrigerators. By contrast, the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act that Biden signed into law in 2022 provided more than $50 billion to support new computer chip plants, fund research and train workers for the industry. The mix of funding support, tax credits and other financial incentives were meant to draw in private investment, a strategy that Trump has vocally opposed. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
The Diplomat
an hour ago
- The Diplomat
As Trump Lifts Sanctions on Myanmar Elites, Is the US Eyeing Rare Earth Reserves?
As Myanmar's military pushes forward with its plan to consolidate power through sham elections, the Trump administration may be looking to bring the junta in from the cold. The military junta that overthrew Myanmar's democratically elected government in 2021 is preparing the ground for national elections in December and January. The junta's hope is these deeply flawed elections would consolidate its power and provide it with a fig leaf of legitimacy. Helping its cause are moves by the Trump administration indicating it may be looking to bring the Myanmar junta in from the cold. A week ago, U.S. President Donald Trump removed sanctions on some allies of Myanmar's generals and their military-linked companies, a move condemned by the United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar. Then came reports the Trump administration was exploring opportunities to access Myanmar's rare earth minerals in an effort to sideline its strategic rival, China. On July 31, Myanmar's military regime canceled the nationwide state of emergency it had kept in place since the coup, a necessary precondition for holding elections under the military-authored constitution of 2008. Hours later, however, it reimposed a state of emergency in dozens of townships where opposition forces are either in control or gaining ground. It then declared martial law in these areas. This underlined the junta's lack of control over much of the country, which would make holding a free and fair election virtually impossible. Last year, the military was unable to conduct a full census to be used to compile voter rolls. It was only able to count 32 million people in just over half the country's townships; it had to estimate another 19 million people in areas outside its control. The July 31 order also handed power from the commander-in-chief of the military to a head of state, which was presented as a return to civilian governance. However, power didn't actually change hands – Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the coup and military, remains in control as acting president. Opposition groups have said they will boycott the election, which the U.N. special rapporteur for Myanmar called a 'fraud.' Myanmar's generals may try to use Trump's apparent interest in the country's rare earths as leverage in their attempt to normalize relations with the United States ahead of a poll. Rare earths have emerged as a critical source of leverage for Beijing in the China-U.S. trade war. China is not only a large miner of rare earths; it dominates the processing required to use them, accounting for around 90 percent of global refining. In recent years, China has begun reducing its own mining and increasing its extractions from neighboring Myanmar, the third-largest producer in the world. Since the coup, rare earth mining has exploded in northern Kachin State, much of which is controlled by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), an ethnic armed group that opposes the junta. Late last year, the KIO seized two important rare earth mining towns from the military and demanded a greater role in taxing exports to China. Beijing initially closed the border in response. However, trade soon resumed after the two sides reached a deal on export taxes. Two different proposals have reportedly been put to Trump for ways to access Myanmar's rare earth deposits. One would entail opening talks with the junta; the other talking directly with the KIO. Part of this effort could entail Trump reducing the punitive 40 percent tariffs his administration imposed on Myanmar to sweeten the deal. Yet, challenges remain to making this a reality. The mines are located in the contested war-torn mountains of northern Myanmar bordering China, which are controlled by the KIO. There is no real infrastructure capable of transporting exports to India's remote northeastern states. The only other export route is south through territory controlled by the junta or other ethnic armed groups. In addition, any attempt by the United States and its allies to extract thousands of tons of rare earth material away from China's borders would likely anger Beijing. It could pressure the KIO by reducing fuel and food imports coming from China. The group's independence and ability to fight the junta relies on trade with China. It would not take long for such an agreement to fall apart. Finally, rare earths mining is extremely polluting and dangerous. Even under Trump, it is unlikely U.S. companies would gamble on the inevitable reputational and legal risks that would accompany such a project, especially in a war zone. In essence, any attempt by the Trump administration to secure rare earths from Myanmar through any intermediary will not go anywhere. There is therefore no justification, on any grounds, for the Trump administration to reduce sanctions on Myanmar's generals or their cronies. Likewise, although the junta is attempting to legitimize its brutal rule by offering a patina of constitutional processes, its elections will not bring real change to the country. Myanmar's people have repeatedly demonstrated over the past four decades, in every remotely free and fair election, that they do not want the military involved in the governance on their country. If the junta does go ahead with this election, the world's governments should call it out for the farcical charade of democracy it will represent. This includes the administration in Washington. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
