There’s hope yet for a Japan-U.S. deal amid monthslong tariff negotiations, both Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled over the weekend.

“A good deal is more important than a rushed deal, and a mutually beneficial trade agreement between the United States and Japan remains within the realm of possibility,” said Bessent, who was appointed by U.S. President Donald Trump in April to lead tariff talks with Japan, in a post on X after a brief meeting with the prime minister in Tokyo on Friday.

"I look forward to continuing formal talks in the future,” he added.