TOKYO: Japan’s tariff envoy headed to Washington on Thursday to press US President Donald Trump to sign an executive order implementing a tariffs deal announced six weeks ago.
Ryosei Akazawa abruptly cancelled his previous planned visit last week, saying further working-level discussions were still needed between the two sides.
“It’s necessary that the US issues an executive order as soon as possible to amend reciprocal tariffs and reduce tariffs on automobiles and automotive parts,“ Akazawa told reporters at the airport in Tokyo.
“We wish to ensure the implementation of the Japan-US agreement that will secure economic security and growth” for both nations, he said.
Trump announced on July 22 a “massive” trade deal with Japan with cuts in US tariffs to 15 percent from a threatened 25 percent.
He also announced that levies on Japanese cars — a sector accounting for some eight percent of the Asian nation’s jobs — would come down to the same level from 27.5 percent, but this has not yet taken effect.
Akazawa was also expected to engage in further discussions about Trump’s assertion that Japan would make investments in the US worth $550 billion, national broadcaster NHK said.
Trump has said the US will keep 90 percent of the profits from the investments, which Japan has said will mostly consist of loans and loan guarantees.
Akazawa cancelled his previous trip after Washington said that it was considering including a reduction in Japanese tariffs on agricultural products in the presidential order, the Nikkei business daily reported.
Trump has long pressed Japan to import more American rice – AFP
