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Japan keeps asking the US what it wants in trade talks and can't get an answer | Forexlive
(www.forexlive.com)
As someone who is good at reading between the lines of Japanese news reporting, here's my translation of a Japanese news source on what is being discussed in tariff negotiations:
アメリカ側は日本車の安全基準を見直すことなど要求を並べてきましたが、日本車にかかる関税25％を引き下げるつもりがあるのかなど、日本との交渉の方針は確認できなかったということです。
(Translation: The American side lined up requests to review Japanese automobile safety standards, but there was no confirmation of whether there was intent to drop the 25% automobile tariffs, and no indication of where the negotiations with Japan would lead.)
また日本への輸出を拡大したい農産物の品目に牛肉やコメ、魚介類、じゃがいもなどを列挙し、関税以外の障壁や制約を取り除くことも求めてきました。
(Additionally, the US negotiators rattled off a list of products they requested to expand their exports to Japan of as well as to remove regulations/non-tariff barriers. This included beef, rice, seafood and potatoes.)
赤沢大臣はこうした指摘に「優先順位をつけて示してほしい」と述べたということです。
(In response to these pointers, Minister Akazawa stated "We would like these requests ranked by priority".)
So all in all, the US side seems to spend their time listing a bunch of grievances, the Japan side lending an ear to their concerns, but not sure where the give-and-take part of the negotiations is here.
