Trade minister Takeo Hiranuma wrapped up two days of talks with senior U.S. trade officials Wednesday, unable to bridge the gap over Japan's demand for compensation for temporary safeguard tariffs the U.S. recently imposed on steel imports.
"We remained apart," the minister of economy, trade and industry said after emerging from a meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick.
Hiranuma, who met with Commerce Secretary Don Evans on Tuesday, said he and Zoellick will meet again in Paris when they attend the May 15-16 ministerial meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.