Opposition parties, wary of U.S. President Donald Trump’s unpredictable diplomacy, criticized Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and Tokyo’s chief tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, on Monday for failing to put the U.S.-Japan trade agreement in writing — a step the government fears could delay or even cancel planned tariff reductions.
“This is the Trump administration we’re talking about. If we don’t issue a written document, (the U.S.) will keep stretching the deal while Japan continues getting ripped off. Doesn’t everyone agree?” said Yoshihiko Noda, chief of the main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, during a Lower House budget committee meeting.
Noda’s remarks came after Japanese officials said no official documentation would be released outlining the trade agreement under which the U.S. will impose a 15% “reciprocal” tariff on most Japanese goods effective Aug. 7 — up from the current 10% but lower than the 25% the United States threatened to impose — while U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said rates could “boomerang” back to 25% if “the president is unhappy” with the deal’s implementation.
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