Japan set to kick off Trump tariff talks in Washington

Japan is set to begin tariff negotiations with the United States in Washington on Wednesday, one of the first countries to test President Donald Trump's willingness to relent on sweeping import duties that have roiled markets and stoked recession fears. Trump said he would personally attend the meeting. "Japan is coming in today to negotiate Tariffs, the cost of military support, and 'TRADE FAIRNESS'," he said in a post on Truth Social. "I will attend the meeting, along with Treasury & Commerce Secretaries. Hopefully something can be worked out which is good (GREAT!) for Japan and the USA!" Japan has been hit with 24 percent levies on its exports to the United States although these rates have, like most of Trump's tariffs, been paused for 90 days. But a 10 percent universal rate remains in place as does a 25 percent duty for cars, a mainstay of Japan's export-reliant economy. Tokyo's top trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, will meet Trump's Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer for discussions that could also address energy projects and the thorny issue of