Autos emerge as sticking point in Japan-US trade talks

Industry vital to both nations, likely making for a hard slog to reach agreement

20250502N Autos

Rows of automobiles at a shipping terminal in San Diego, California. © Reuters

SHUNSUKE USHIGOME and CHIHIRO UCHIYAMA

TOKYO -- Automobiles, a major sector in both the U.S. and Japan, have emerged as the main stumbling block in trade talks between the two countries.

At Thursday's meeting -- the second round -- the Japanese side again called for removing the Trump administration's auto tariff. But the administration is particularly focused on autos. The path to an agreement will not be smooth.

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