TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is seeking to hold talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, possibly on Friday, during his visit to Japan for the World Exposition, government sources said, as the deadline for the imposition of steep tariffs by the United States looms.
Bessent is a key figure in bilateral tariff negotiations, with President Donald Trump having announced that the United States plans to impose a 25% levy on Japanese goods from Aug. 1.
"We hope to make Mr. Bessent's visit to Japan an opportunity to speed up negotiations," one of the sources said.
The meeting is expected to take place before Bessent attends the Osaka expo's "United States day" as head of a presidential delegation, the sources said.
The envisioned meeting would take place before Japan's House of Councillors election on Sunday, with media polls indicating Ishiba's ruling coalition is facing an uphill battle in retaining majority control of the upper chamber.
Japan's top tariffs negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, is expected to welcome the delegation, they said.
"We will continue negotiations over tariffs with the United States through various channels," Akazawa said at a press conference Tuesday. But he did not elaborate on whether he will hold full-fledged talks during Bessent's visit to Japan.
Trump informed a number of U.S. trading partners on July 7 of new country-specific "reciprocal tariff" rates, with Japan set to face 25%, up from 24% unveiled in early April.
