New U.S. ambassador to Japan says optimistic tariff agreement can be reached
The new U.S. ambassador to Japan arrived in Tokyo on Friday and said his country and its major Asian allies would be optimistic about their ongoing tariff negotiations.
George Glass, a well-known businessman known for his background in finance, investment banking and technology, is negotiating President Donald Trump’s tariff measures for negotiations between Washington and Tokyo, which has attracted worldwide attention on the impact of the economy and global trade. “I’m very optimistic…I’m very optimistic…it’s a deal.
The day after the first round of tariff talks between the two countries’ top negotiators in Washington, both sides agreed to reach an agreement as soon as possible and hold a second round later this month.
Trump attended a meeting held by the Japanese delegation, led by Minister of Economic Revitalization Ryosei Akazawa, along with Secretary of Economic Revitalization, at the White House. Trump has been tested for his reputation as a trader and may want to finalize a series of trade deals as countries around the world seek to curb losses from U.S. tariffs.
Trump recently announced a 90-day pause temporarily exempt from Japan from on-board tariffs, but the benchmark tariffs and 10% tax and 25% tax on imported cars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports remain. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said tariffs will hit Japan's economy and relax Japanese companies' investment in the United States, and both sides should seek a settlement that benefits both.
Trump is also pushing Tokyo to further increase its defense spending and bear more burdens as the Allies strengthen military cooperation, with about 50,000 U.S. troops. He raised the issue during tariff negotiations with Japan. “We sit with Japan in a very difficult community.
“You have Russia, you have China, you have North Korea,” Grass said Friday.
Japan is a long-standing U.S. ally and one of the first countries to start negotiating tariffs with Washington. Other American allies are watching their conversation closely. Grass said he was confident of reaching a deal because the “best and smartest” officials from Japan and the United States were negotiating and Trump personally participated in the negotiations, calling them his top priority. He said the U.S. $400 trillion in Treasury bonds made the country “unsustainable and if we continue to go that path, that’s the end of our economy.
“Glass, who started working on Monday, did not elaborate on how he helped the difference between Tokyo and Washington. After a long flight, he said: “The first thing I have to do is go home and take a nap.” ”
