FILE PHOTO: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks to media about U.S. President Donald Trump's new tariffs in Tokyo, Japan April 3, 2025, in this photo taken by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. JAPAN OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN JAPAN./File Photo
TOKYO: Japan won’t just keep conceding to US demands to reach a deal over tariffs, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (pic) said, in some of his most combative remarks since President Donald Trump launched a push for more access to Tokyo’s sensitive auto and agricultural sectors as part of his global trade war.
"If Japan concedes everything, we won’t be able to secure our national interest,” Ishiba said in parliament on Monday (April 21).
Tokyo is working to hammer out its strategy for a second round of negotiations before the end of April after its chief negotiator held initial talks with US officials in Washington last week. Details of specific US demands remain vague, but Trump frequently complains about the lack of American cars in Japan.
Senior US officials have also highlighted tariffs on agricultural imports into Japan, including rice, as examples of unfair trade barriers.
The stakes are high for Ishiba. Cars are Japan’s most lucrative export industry and the nation’s farmers are an important support base for his ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which faces a national election in July and is struggling with low public support ratings.
A survey published Monday in the Asahi newspaper showed approval for Ishiba’s cabinet at 30% and disapproval at 56%.
In his remarks in parliament, Ishiba launched a strong defence of barriers to agricultural imports.
"We have been working to protect Japanese agriculture using various methods, such as tariffs and minimum access rules,” Ishiba said.
"We must continue to protect it, and of course, we must also protect consumer safety.”
Despite the robust talk, Japan needs to find bargaining chips as it seeks to win an exemption from an across-the-board US tariff rate of 24% that was reduced to 10% for 90 days from earlier this month. As with other nations, Japan also faces a 25% levy on shipments of cars, steel and aluminum.
Over the weekend, some local newspapers reported that Japan may offer to increase imports of US rice and soybeans, and potentially relax safety standards for imported cars as proposals to move tariff talks forward.
US carmakers have long complained about perceived non-tariff barriers blocking access to Japan’s market, although Ishiba said on Monday that he didn’t expect left-hand drive US cars to sell much in Japan, where cars travel on the left-hand side of the road.
Ishiba didn’t mention specific offers that Japan would make, but he ruled out a scenario in which he would sacrifice farmers by lowering protections for their products as part of any deal to get the 25% tariff on autos lifted.
Trump has also raised the financial contribution Tokyo makes to support US military bases in Japan as an issue of concern, including before a meeting with Japanese trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa last week.
On Monday, Ishiba said Tokyo won’t simply raise its cost burden for the US military presence.
He added that he won’t rush to visit Washington in the coming days to strike a deal with Trump. - Bloomberg
