Japan's top tariff negotiator cancels trip to Washington

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) - Japan's top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, on Thursday abruptly canceled his visit to the US for tariff talks.

Only Japanese officials will now travel to the US to discuss the matter for now, the government said, according to the Kyodo news agency.

The details need to be resolved at the working level, the government said.

Akazawa was scheduled to visit Washington between Thursday and Saturday for the 10th round of tariff negotiations with the US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Akazawa stated that he would request Washington to swiftly lower its tariffs on Japanese automobiles and auto parts and exempt Tokyo from tariff stacking, as agreed last month.

With autos a key pillar of Japan’s economy, prolonged higher tariffs could hurt major carmakers like Toyota and Honda, which rely heavily on the American market.

Japan had earlier said Washington would reduce its tariff on imported Japanese cars to 15% from the current 27.5% with an exemption from tariff stacking. The matter was expected to be discussed during this canceled meeting.

Akazawa had also been expected to discuss with Lutnick a joint document regarding Japan's pledge to boost investment in the US as part of a $550 billion initiative.