Japanese premier pushes back against 'quick' deal with US, says won't 'undermine national interests'
Shigeru Ishiba is expected to meet Donald Trump on sidelines of G7 summit in Canada
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba
ANKARA
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday pushed back against a "quick" tariff deal with the US, saying he will not sacrifice the country's national interests to reach the agreement, the Kyodo news agency reported.
He said that Tokyo aims to make progress in ongoing tariff negotiations with Washington before his possible meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of a G7 leaders' summit to be held in Canada starting Sunday.
"It'd be good to see certain progress made before meeting with the president (Trump) at the G7. But what matters is a deal that benefits both Japan and the United States," Ishiba told reporters.
"We will not prioritize reaching a deal quickly and undermine national interests," he added.
His remarks came after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday that Washington could extend its current 90-day pause on the implementation of "reciprocal" tariffs if trading partners engage in negotiations "in good faith."
The pause, if not extended, would expire in early July.
Tokyo has repeatedly urged Washington to eliminate all additional tariffs.
Trump said his administration was prioritizing negotiations with key trading partners like Japan and South Korea.
Japan faces a 24% reciprocal tariff rate, including a 10% baseline duty already in place.
