Japan and China made little progress in daylong talks Monday on Beijing's decision in May to impose emergency tariffs to curb steel imports, Japanese officials said.
The talks focused on steel products Japan that wants removed from the Chinese tariff list.
The Chinese import curb involves 17 categories of steel products from Japan.
Among them, nine steel products had already exceeded, by Sept. 4, the import volume under which ordinary tariffs would be applied and are now subjected to a maximum 26 percent in extra tariffs.
Some Japanese manufacturers based in China that use Japanese steel products say a reduction in the volume of imports is already affecting their operations.
Japanese and Chinese negotiators are expected to resume talks at a date that has yet to be determined.
According to Japanese officials who took part in Monday's talks, Japan is urging China to lift the emergency tariffs, which will be applied in full when the government assessment is completed in November.
Japan will also continue to urge China to remove from the emergency tariff list high-grade steel products that are not manufactured in China, the officials said.
Japanese officials said China has promised to consider the Japanese position but argues that it is difficult to determine whether the steel products singled out by Japan are not actually produced in the country.
The Chinese side made no mention of when the Chinese government would allow the exceptions, even if the Japanese position is accepted.