Japanese media: Trump's personal involvement in the Japan-US tariff negotiations reveals his eagerness

The Japan-US tariff negotiations kicked off in Washington on Wednesday (April 16). US President Donald Trump personally met with Japanese Minister of Economic Development Ryo Akazawa, who is of a lower rank than him, which was regarded as an unusual move.

Kyodo News reported that this move reflects the strong will of the US side to achieve concrete results in the short term, and Japan may face difficult negotiations. For the United States, whether it can use tariffs as a bargaining chip to force Japan to make concessions will become a touchstone for future negotiations with other countries and regions.

After initiating reciprocal tariffs, Trump immediately announced on April 9 that he would suspend the subsequent additional tariffs for 90 days. The White House said this was a strategy adopted by Trump to force countries to the negotiating table, but there are also many views that this was an adjustment that had to be made due to the decline of US stocks and US bonds.

Kyodo News reported that Trump announced that he would attend the negotiations with Japan in person on the morning of the 16th. He posted on his social media platform, saying, "Looking forward to achieving good results for Japan and the United States." This indicates that Trump is eager to score real points in areas such as the economy that serve as his signature.