By Makiko Yamazaki
TOKYO (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba that their countries can reach a "good agreement" on tariffs, Ishiba said on Friday after meeting Bessent in Tokyo.
No specific terms were discussed, such as the 25% tariff U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will impose on Japan from August 1, Ishiba said, but he added that Bessent would continue "active talks" with his top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa.
Akazawa, who also joined
the meeting, told reporters that both countries agreed to carry on a "constructive dialogue". Bessent left Ishiba's office without speaking to reporters.
The comments from top Japanese officials came after Bessent made a courtesy visit to Ishiba in Tokyo, before attending a U.S. national day event on Saturday at World Expo 2025 in Osaka.
The White House did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Japan's shaky minority government is poised for another setback in an upper house vote on Sunday, an outcome that could jolt investor confidence in the world's fourth largest economy and complicate tariff talks with the United States.
Japan's Mainichi Shimbun daily reported on Friday evening that Akazawa has started making arrangements to visit the United States next week for further tariff talks with Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Kim Coghill)
