Washington [US], July 1: President Donald Trump expressed frustration with US-Japan trade talks, while the US Treasury Secretary warned that countries could receive notice of significant tariff increases as the July 9 deadline approaches.
In a social media post on June 30, President Trump complained that Japan's reluctance to import rice grown in the United States was a sign that many countries were being "over-indulged."
"I have great respect for Japan but they don't buy our rice, while they have a serious shortage of rice. We will just send them a letter, and we will be happy to have them as a trading partner for many years to come," Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Last week, Mr. Trump said that his administration would send letters to several countries to notify them of higher tariffs before July 9, when U.S. tariffs are scheduled to return from a temporary 10% rate to the 11%-50% rate he announced on April 2.
Last weekend, President Trump said on television that Japan was taking an "unfair" trade approach with the United States in the auto industry.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said on June 30 that President Trump would meet with his trade team to set tariffs for countries "if they do not come to the negotiating table in good faith," according to Reuters.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who has floated the idea of extending the deadline for countries negotiating trade deals with the US in good faith, told Bloomberg that only Mr Trump would decide on such an extension.
The minister added that he expected "a series" of deals before the July 9 deadline and wanted to maintain pressure on trading partners.
"We have countries that are negotiating in good faith, but they should know that if we can't make a deal because they're stubborn, then we can go back to the April 2 tariffs. I hope that doesn't have to happen," Mr. Bessent said.
Japan's economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, the country's chief tariff negotiator, said Japan would continue to work with the United States to reach a trade deal while protecting its national interests.
Mr. Akazawa admitted that he was aware of Mr. Trump's comments about cars, and said that continuing to impose a 25% tariff on imported cars from Japan would cause significant damage to the country's economy.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
