TOKYO – The new U.S. ambassador to Japan arrived in Tokyo on Friday and said he was optimistic that his country and its major Asian allies would reach a deal on ongoing tariff negotiations.
George Glass, a well-known businessman known for his background in finance, investment banking and technology, is in talks with President Donald Trump’s tariff measures that have attracted worldwide attention on its impact on the economy and global trade.
“I’m very optimistic…the agreement will be reached,” Grass told reporters after landing at Hanida International Airport in Tokyo.
The day after the first round of tariff talks between the two countries’ top negotiators in Washington, both sides agreed to reach an agreement as soon as possible and hold a second round later this month.
Trump attended a meeting held by the Japanese delegation, led by Minister of Economic Revitalization Ryosei Akazawa, along with Secretary of Economic Revitalization, at the White House.
Trump has been tested for his reputation as a trader and may want to finalize a series of trade deals as countries around the world seek to curb losses from U.S. tariffs.
Trump recently announced a 90-day pause temporarily exempt from Japan from on-board tariffs, but the benchmark tariffs and 10% tax and 25% tax on imported cars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports remain.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said tariffs will hit Japan’s economy and relax Japanese companies’ investment in the United States, and both sides should seek a settlement that benefits both.
Trump is also pushing Tokyo to further increase its defense spending and bear more burdens as the Allies strengthen military cooperation, with about 50,000 U.S. troops. He raised the issue during tariff talks with Japan.
“We sit with Japan in a very tough community. You have Russia, you have China, you have North Korea,” Grass said Friday. He added that the Allies need to make sure their troops have all the materials they need to “oppose countries like China.”
Glass vowed in March to have a “hard dialogue” about tariffs and reduce the U.S.-Japan trade deficit and ensure that Tokyo continues to further enhance its defense role in the region.
Japan is a long-standing U.S. ally and one of the first countries to start negotiating tariffs with Washington. Other American allies are watching their conversation closely.
Grass said he was confident of reaching a deal because the “best and smartest” officials from Japan and the United States were negotiating and Trump personally participated in the negotiations, calling them his top priority.
He said the US $400 trillion in Treasury bonds made the country “unsustainable and if we continue to go that path, that’s the end of our economy.”
Grass, who started working on Monday, did not elaborate on how he helped Tokyo and Washington eliminate their differences. After a long flight, he said, “The first thing I want to do is go home and take a nap.”
This article was generated from the Automation News Agency feed without the text being modified.
