Japan and U.S. in Bilateral Trade Tightrope

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba declared on Tuesday that Japan is persisting in negotiations with the United States to secure a mutually beneficial bilateral trade agreement. This follows President Trump's warning, via letter, that Japan and South Korea would face 25% tariffs starting August 1.

While Tokyo and Washington have not yet finalized an agreement, Ishiba pointed out significant progress in discussions. These developments have prevented a potential increase in U.S. tariffs to 30% or 35%, as recently suggested by President Trump.

Ishiba communicated in a meeting with cabinet ministers that the U.S. has expressed a desire for swift negotiations before the August 1 deadline. The United States even suggested that the contents of its proposal could be altered based on Japan's forthcoming response.

(With inputs from agencies.)