Ryosei Akazawa, Japan's chief tariff negotiator, is off to Washington again on Thursday as the United States promises clarity by the end of the week on Japan's $550 billion investment pledge.

It will be his 10th trip to the U.S. since tariff negotiations started in April, and the second time since the two countries reached a last-minute trade deal on July 22.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Tuesday in the United States that an agreement on the $550 billion pledge — which was made by Japan in the course of negotiations as a concession to get tariffs lowered — will be released later this week.