Japan doubles down on demand that US drop auto tariffs

By Berk Kutay Gokmen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan on Thursday doubled down on its demand that the US lift the additional 25% tariff on automobiles imposed by Washington, Kyodo News reported.

Japan’s chief tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, made the remarks before departing for Washington for another round of talks with US officials, expressing hope that he can persuade them to remove the hefty tariff.

This auto tariff is “not something we can accept,” Akazawa told reporters at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport before leaving Japan, stressing the toll the policy is taking on Japan’s key automotive industry.

The seventh round of high-level talks is expected to include US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The auto tariff has remained the main sticking point since talks began in April.

This marks Akazawa’s first visit to the US since Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba failed to reach a deal with US President Donald Trump during their June 16 summit in Canada. Both sides agreed to continue discussions at the ministerial level.

Japan’s automobile industry currently faces a 25% tariff. Japan also faces a 24% "reciprocal" tariff rate starting on July 9 unless it can negotiate a deal with Washington.

Japan also recorded a trade deficit of 637.61 billion yen ($4.38 billion) in May, as auto-related exports to the US dropped sharply due to the tariffs introduced by Trump.