[By Guancha Observer Network, Zhang Jingjuan] The United States and its ally Japan are currently vigorously conducting tariff negotiations. In the middle of the month, President Trump, as the head of state of the United States, participated in a rare ministerial-level meeting and directly met with lower-ranking Japanese negotiation representatives.
There was a detail that went unnoticed by those present that day.
According to a report by Reuters on the 27th, the gift brought by Akira Akazawa, Japan's chief trade negotiator and Minister for Economic Revitalization, to Trump - the Osaka Expo mascot piggy bank "Myaku-Myaku" - was made in China.
In response to this matter, Akira Akazawa stated that this gift was only intended to encourage Trump to visit the Expo and mentioned that "Trump likes gold." However, he refused to comment on the origin of the gift.
The official website of the Expo lists the product as "Made in China," and the manufacturer of the product also confirmed this.
On April 16, 2025, local time, U.S. President Trump met with Japan's chief trade negotiator and Minister for Economic Revitalization, Akira Akazawa, at the Oval Office of the White House. Reuters
The report pointed out that when Trump tried to use tariffs as a bargaining chip to reach a large number of bilateral agreements within months, this inadvertently delivered gift revealed the complexity of the global supply chain he attempted to reshape.
China is not only Japan's largest trading partner but also an important source of its commodities and raw materials.
Reuters reported that whether the United States can quickly reach an agreement with Japan will be seen as a "test case" for the success or failure of Trump's tariff policy by the international community.
However, there are already signs that negotiations with Japan may be fraught with twists and turns, especially as Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party is concerned about signing a bad deal before the uncertain summer upper house election.
Daisuke Kawai, an expert on economic security at the University of Tokyo, believes that Trump needs Japan to make certain concessions so that he can prove himself as a "tough president."
"He needs to establish a demonstration case as soon as possible," Kawai said.
Some analysts expect that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump will announce an agreement at the spring summit to be held in Alberta, Canada, in June. Others warn that making concessions on thorny issues before the upper house election in July could be risky for the Japanese government.
According to polls, the ruling coalition may lose its majority seats in the upcoming election, a result that could force Shinzo Abe from office, as he suffered a similar setback in last year's more powerful lower house election.
As a close ally of the United States, Japan has been hit by a 24% "reciprocal tariff" rate, far exceeding market expectations, and its automotive industry, which serves as the cornerstone of its economy, faces a punitive tariff of 25%.
The Kyodo News Agency of Japan reported that Akira Akazawa will begin visiting the United States on the 30th to conduct the second round of negotiations with the Americans. Reuters reported that the spokesperson for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative declined to comment on the negotiations.
A Japanese government official close to Shinzo Abe said that Japan is still assessing the priorities of the United States in the negotiations, expecting the United States to demand Japan reduce barriers to imports of American agricultural products and automobiles.
One of Trump's major complaints is Japan's rice import tariff, given that Japan faces a shortage of staple food like rice and rice prices have recently soared; this tariff should be relatively easy to adjust.
However, officials said that those seeking leverage in the negotiations face resistance. Influential ruling party lawmakers are concerned about offending voters in their agricultural constituencies ahead of the election.
In their view, Trump seems unwilling to exempt global automobile imports from a 25% tariff, and cars account for nearly one-third of Japan's total exports to the United States, which is Japan's largest market. This makes Japan reluctant to make concessions in other areas such as rice.
The Liberal Democratic Party of Japan previously issued a statement saying they would not accept any negotiation strategy that sacrificed agricultural products to obtain exemptions for automobile tariffs or protect other industries.
On April 23, 2025, local time, Tokyo, Japan, imported U.S. rice. IC Photo
Japan's initial concern that Trump might try to include currency negotiations in trade talks has subsided. Trump himself told reporters that military issues might be handled separately. The U.S. president had previously hinted that he wanted to discuss the issue of South Korea and Japan bearing the costs of U.S. troops stationed in the U.S. during trade negotiations.
However, Tokyo's anxious mood contrasts sharply with the optimistic remarks made after Trump and Akira Akazawa's first meeting, where Trump praised the meeting as having achieved significant progress. Reuters reported that the U.S. and Japan are working hard to reach a temporary agreement, but many major issues have been put on hold.
Analysts believe that Trump's quick victory in Japan is far from guaranteed.
Joseph Kraft, a financial and political analyst at Tokyo's Roach Consulting, said, "A quick agreement means one side will have to make a lot of compromises."
"I think Japan's strategy is to wait for the U.S. to show its cards... They may place more emphasis on the content of the agreement than the timing. While Trump prioritizes timing over content."
This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498260842963468863/
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