Concerns regarding the tariff policy of the Donald Trump administration in the United States have surfaced in Japan, which is currently engaged in trade negotiations.
According to the Asahi Shimbun on the 21st, the results of a nationwide opinion poll conducted from the 19th to the 20th showed that 43% of respondents answered "very much" when asked, "Do you feel that the tariff policy of the Trump administration will have a negative impact on the Japanese economy?" This marked a 14-point increase from 29% in the opinion poll conducted in February.
The percentage of those who answered "somewhat" was also 42%, indicating that the total percentage who view the Trump administration's tariff policy as likely to negatively impact the economy was 85%.
Concerns grew with age. The percentage of respondents who answered "very much" was 25% among those aged 18 to 29, while it reached 53% for those in their 60s and 52% for those aged 70 and older.
There was also significant distrust regarding Shigeru Ishiba's government's negotiation capabilities. The percentage of those who answered that they "cannot expect anything" from Ishiba's negotiating power in negotiations with the United States was 70%. Meanwhile, only 28% answered that they "can expect something." Additionally, the negative evaluation of Ishiba's government's response in negotiations with the U.S. was 58%, surpassing the positive evaluation of 24%.
The Japanese trade negotiation delegation led by Ryosei Akazawa, the Minister of Economic Revitalization, visited the United States on the 16th to meet with President Trump and negotiate with U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Vance, and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Jamison Greer. Japan and the U.S. plan to coordinate schedules for additional trade negotiations within this month.
The 2+2 trade consultation, attended by the finance and trade ministers of South Korea and the United States, will take place on the 24th at 9 p.m. (Korean time, 8 a.m. on the 24th) in Washington D.C. From the South Korean side, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok and Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Ahn Duk-geun will attend, while U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Vance and Trade Representative Greer will also be present.
Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said, "Under the principle of prioritizing national interest, we will make every effort to calmly and seriously negotiate with the United States to find solutions that can achieve mutual win-win outcomes for both countries" and noted that they would seek mutually beneficial agreements between the two countries.