The tariff dispute between the United States and Japan has been escalating. Negotiation details revealed on May 6 show that the US side has firmly refused to cancel the 14% punitive tariffs and the 10% base tariff imposed on Japan by the Trump administration.
US-Japan Tariff Negotiations Reach an Impasse as US Refuses to Fully Lift Tariffs to Pressure Japan
The tariff dispute between the United States and Japan has been escalating. Negotiation details revealed on May 6 show that the US side has firmly refused to cancel the 14% punitive tariffs and the 10% base tariff imposed on Japan by the Trump administration. It has only agreed to negotiate on the adjustment of some tariffs. Akazawa Ryo, the Minister of Economic Revitalization of Japan, has repeatedly demanded that the US side fully revoke the three waves of additional tariffs (each reaching 25%) on steel, aluminum, automobiles and their parts. However, US Treasury Secretary Bethent has only promised to consider extending or reducing the suspension period of the "targeted tax increase", following the model of the steel tariff quota system during the Biden era.
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Since March 2025, the Trump administration has continuously increased tariffs. In April, it launched a 10% base tariff and postponed the second wave of tax increases for 90 days. Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru frankly stated that the two sides "have not found a compromise point", and Akazawa emphasized that "full revocation is a prerequisite for reaching an agreement". Analysts point out that the US's refusal to grant special treatment highlights its "America First" strategy. The intensive negotiations in mid-May are likely to struggle to break the deadlock. Japan may be forced to weigh between industrial damage and strategic concessions.
