Trump Applauds ‘Major Breakthrough’ in Japan Tariff Negotiations

WASHINGTON (RNN TV) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday declared “big progress” in tariff negotiations with Japan, marking one of the first major face-to-face meetings since his wave of global tariffs rattled markets and sparked concerns over a potential recession.

The talks, which Tokyo had initially viewed as a preliminary, fact-finding round, took an unexpected turn with Trump stepping in directly. Japan hadn’t anticipated the president’s personal involvement at this early stage—a sign of his intent to closely manage upcoming negotiations with a range of countries in the coming weeks.

Japan had hoped to focus the discussions strictly on trade and investment. However, Trump revealed that more contentious topics, including Japan’s financial contributions toward hosting U.S. troops, were also on the table.

“A great honour to have just met with the Japanese delegation on trade. Big progress!” Trump posted on social media, though he did not provide specifics on the substance of the talks.

Leading the Japanese delegation was Ryosei Akazawa, a trusted aide to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, currently serving as Japan’s Minister for Economic Revitalization. After the meeting, Akazawa offered limited details but confirmed that both sides had agreed to reconvene for another round of talks later this month. He noted that Trump emphasized the importance of reaching a trade agreement with Japan, calling it a “top priority.”

Currency exchange rates—an issue the Trump administration has previously accused Japan of manipulating to gain a trade edge—were reportedly not discussed. Akazawa reaffirmed Tokyo’s position that it does not intentionally weaken the yen to benefit exporters. Following his remarks, the dollar strengthened by about 0.5% against the yen.

Akazawa met with Trump for roughly 50 minutes at the White House, followed by an extended session with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, lasting nearly 90 minutes, according to Japanese summaries.”

Meanwhile, trade discussions continue elsewhere. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is scheduled to visit the White House on Thursday to discuss tariffs imposed on the European Union. South Korea’s finance minister has also been invited to Washington next week by Treasury Secretary Bessent for similar talks.

Source: Web Desk