
Japan, US top diplomats agree to support bilateral tariff talks
The two top diplomats, who met on the sidelines of ASEAN-related regional meetings in Kuala Lumpur, confirmed that they will back ministerial talks aimed at reaching a "mutually beneficial" deal, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said.
Japan and the United States have had in-person ministerial negotiations over Trump's latest tariff regime seven times.
Japan's chief tariff negotiator is economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, while the U.S. side is led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

11 minutes ago
Japan, EU Vow to Expand Defense, Economic Security Cooperation
News from Japan Politics Jul 23, 2025 20:07 (JST) Tokyo, July 23 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday agreed to strengthen cooperation on defense and economic security. The Japanese and European Union leaders, meeting in Tokyo, agreed to launch dialogue on reinforcing defense industry bases and expand ministerial dialogue on economic security cooperation. "Stronger Japan-EU relations will enhance the peace and prosperity of our country and the Indo-Pacific region," Ishiba said at a joint press conference with the EU leaders after their meeting. Von der Leyen said Wednesday's meeting reaffirmed the strength of the bonds of the two sides in an increasingly fragmented world. "The security of Europe and the Indo-Pacific are interconnected," the leaders said in a joint statement released after the meeting. "Strengthening the defense industry base is a common priority for Japan and the EU," they said. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press


Kyodo News
11 minutes ago
- Kyodo News
Split Japan antinuke groups, Hidankyo unite for 80th A-bomb anniv.
TOKYO - Two Japanese antinuclear groups that split during the Cold War issued a rare joint statement Wednesday to mark the upcoming 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, appealing for the people of Japan to carry the cities' message to the world. The statement by the Japan Congress Against A- and H-Bombs, known as Gensuikin, and the Japan Council Against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs, known as Gensuikyo, was also cosigned by Nihon Hidankyo, Japan's leading group of atomic bomb survivors and the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. "I truly hope that this (collaboration) will become a turning point where Japan's movement can grow into a much larger one and expand to the world," Terumi Tanaka, co-chair of Nihon Hidankyo, said at a joint press conference held by the three groups in Tokyo. With the risk of nuclear weapons use rising globally, the three groups stressed that survivor testimonies remain one of the most powerful deterrents against the use of such weapons in war. Building on Hidankyo's Nobel Peace Prize recognition, the statement also urged the Japanese government to "break free" from the U.S. nuclear umbrella, and swiftly sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. "Despite atomic bomb survivors capturing the world's attention, the risk of nuclear weapon use continues to rise, making the role of Japan's antinuclear movement more critical than ever," the statement said, while criticizing the Japanese government's refusal to join the treaty as "eroding international trust." Japan's antinuclear movement began in 1954 following the Bikini Atoll incident, when a Japanese fishing boat was exposed to radiation from a U.S. nuclear weapon test. The first World Conference against A & H Bombs was held in Hiroshima in 1955. The movement later split in the 1960s over political differences, with Gensuikyo aligning with the Japanese Communist Party, which tolerated Soviet nuclear testing, and Gensuikin with the former Socialist Party and and trade unions, which opposed all nuclear testing regardless of country. While the world conference was held jointly from 1977 to 1985, Gensuikyo and Gensuikin have in recent years hosted separate events each summer in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.


The Mainichi
11 minutes ago
- The Mainichi
Japan, EU agree to boost economic security, defense cooperation
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- The leaders of Japan and the European Union agreed Wednesday on new initiatives to strengthen cooperation in economic security, trade and defense, amid uncertainty over U.S. tariff policies and China's growing military and economic influence. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a joint statement issued after their summit in Tokyo that they will establish a "Japan-EU Competitiveness Alliance" to collaborate in ensuring economic security and bolstering their industries. The leaders pledged to expand the ministerial-level Japan-EU High-Level Economic Dialogue to better align their strategies as they work to strengthen supply chains for key materials, emphasizing the importance of promoting free trade and multilateralism. They also agreed to work together toward launching a future dialogue on defense industry cooperation and to begin official negotiations on an accord between Japan and the EU to facilitate the exchange of classified security information. The talks come as U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs have been shaking global economies, prompting Japan, the EU, and other major trading partners of the United States to negotiate with it while also bolstering ties among themselves. Earlier in the day, Tokyo announced a deal with Washington on 15 percent country-specific levies, ahead of an Aug. 1 deadline for the U.S. imposition of "reciprocal" 25 percent duties on Japanese goods. As part of retaliatory measures in a tit-for-tat tariff war with the United States, China has tightened its control over exports of critical minerals, including rare earths, fueling fears that supply chains of those items could be affected. Japan and European nations have been deepening defense partnerships under a vision that the security of the Indo-Pacific region and that of Europe are inseparable, sharing concerns over China's growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with North Korean soldiers joining. Ahead of the summit, Costa and von der Leyen visited the World Exposition venue in Osaka in western Japan on Tuesday. They are scheduled to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Thursday.