Bessent, Lutnick and Greer keep Japan guessing in US tariff talks

Differing views on trade by Trump's negotiating team frustrate Tokyo

From left, U.S. trade chief Jamieson Greer, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Japan's top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa at a May 1 meeting in Washington. © Kyodo

CHIHIRO UCHIYAMA

June 6, 2025 00:55 JST

TOKYO -- The presence of three top U.S. negotiators with differing stances on trade is adding a layer of complexity to tariff talks with Japan.

Open disagreements, competition and confusion among Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer have made it hard for the Japanese side to judge the Trump administration's intentions, according to sources close to the negotiations.