Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Thursday that trade talks with the United States are moving forward, even as a pause on a 24 percent reciprocal tariff on Japanese imports is set to expire next week.
Speaking on public broadcaster NHK, Ishiba responded to recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Japan was not importing American rice or cars. Ishiba said those claims may be based on misunderstanding or misinformation.
He noted that Japan has recently imported a large volume of U.S. rice. The increase came as the price of domestically grown rice rose sharply over the past year, leading to higher costs for Japanese consumers.
While Ishiba confirmed progress in discussions on tariffs, he did not share details.
