Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba heads to Canada on Sunday for trade talks with US President Donald Trump, hoping to persuade him to drop trade tariffs that have imperilled Japan's auto companies and threaten to undermine his fragile government, Reuters reported.
The two are expected to meet on the sidelines of a summit of the Group of Seven nations in Kananaskis, Alberta, for their second in-person encounter. It follows a sixth round of high-level trade talks in Washington on Friday.
Japan's top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, said he explored the possibility of an deal in detailed meetings with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The trick for Ishiba, who spoke with Trump by phone on Friday, will be to get the president to drop the 25% tariff he imposed on Japanese cars, as well as a paused 24% across-the-board levy that Trump calls a reciprocal tariff, without making concessions that could hurt the prime minister's public support at home, according to Reuters.
