Why is Ishiba Letting Trump Call the Shots in Tariff Talks?

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There seems to be no end in sight for the Japan-United States tariff negotiations. With such slow progress, President Donald Trump has been stepping up his criticism of Japan.

Trump has said that it is "unfair" that US auto exports to Japan are at such a low level and has rebuffed Japan's requests to scrap or reconsider the 25% additional tariffs his administration has slapped on Japanese cars. The President has also complained that the Japanese imports of US rice are insufficient.

Trump has been pointing to both of these issues for quite some time. Nevertheless, the reason why he has recently intensified his criticism of Japan by name is likely a desire to shake up Tokyo. He wants to force major concessions from Japan in order to start eliminating the bilateral trade deficit.

Of course, the self-righteous US criticism regarding motor vehicle imports is unacceptable. Additionally, Japan imported 346,000 tons of American rice in 2024, more than twice the amount from the next largest external source, Thailand. At the same time, rice production constitutes the foundation of Japan's food security. So there is no need for our nation to blindly comply with US demands for increased imports of American rice. Japan should remain undeterred by Trump's provocative words and actions and continue to negotiate tenaciously.

What is worrisome is the fact that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has been out of the picture.

*Minister Ryosei Akazawa leaves the meeting with Commerce Secretary Robert Lutnick on June 27 in Washington. (©Kyodo)*

More Than Ministerial Negotiations

Trump personally calls the shots as to whether the US will revise its tariff measures. The only person who can directly influence this impasse is the Prime Minister. So why is there no sign of Ishiba becoming proactively involved in the negotiations?

After agreement could not be reached at the June summit, the parties decided to continue negotiations at the Cabinet minister level. However, leaving the negotiations to Ryosei Akazawa, Minister of State for Economic Revitalization, does not solve the problem. Akazawa is not in a position to negotiate directly with the President.

Ishiba has a responsibility as prime minister to protect the national interest. If he just allows Trump to dictate the pace of negotiations, he will be unable to fulfill that responsibility.

Currently, the Japan-US tariff talks remain stymied over the additional tariffs on Japanese motor vehicles imported into the United States. That sector is a priority for Japan.

Akazawa visited the US at the end of June for the seventh ministerial meeting. However, he was unable to even meet with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is overseeing the US side in the talks. Trump's moratorium on the imposition of additional "reciprocal tariffs" is due to expire on July 9. Yet, no progress has been made in the negotiations, including regarding the possibility of extending the deadline.

*Prime Minister Ishiba answers reporters' questions on June 22. (©Sankei)*

Only the Prime Minister

Trump unilaterally established that deadline. The US President also mentioned that he might send a letter to Japan ending the negotiations and setting the tariff level. It is problematic that Trump continues to unilaterally impose his will without fairly considering the ministerial-level talks and other input.

However, it is also questionable whether the Ishiba administration is capable of managing such Trump-style dealmaking. The Prime Minister must demonstrate the leadership necessary to break the impasse. That, of course, includes arranging a telephone summit with Trump, as well as writing him directly.

The time has come for Prime Minister Ishiba to prove his ability.