President Donald Trump left the G7 meeting in Canada before its conclusion, which means he did not have the chance for many bilateral meetings. But he did make time to talk with the leader of the world's biggest foreign investor in the United States.
When it comes to trade relations between the U.S. and Japan, there were no breakthroughs in Canada. President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba spent about half an hour discussing tariffs.
The president said his second in-person meeting with Ishiba went “well,” while the prime minister called the talks “candid.”
In diplomatic language, that's not usually a sign of any dramatic progress. From the Japanese side, it's the tariffs on autos and auto parts that remain the biggest concern.
Government figures show Japan exported around 1.4 million vehicles to the United States last year.
The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said nearly two and a half times that number were produced by Japanese automakers in the United States over the same period.
Talks are still going on in Washington. Japanese media report that the country's top trade negotiator has made six trips to the U.S. capital in just over two months.
The Trump Administration is threatening sanctions in about three weeks. In Japan, there will likely be political consequences, no matter the outcome of trade talks.
Elections for the Upper House of Parliament come less than two weeks after the tariff deadline.
