Japan's Trade Negotiator Cancels US Visit Over Rice Issue

Japan's top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa abruptly canceled his trip to Washington on Thursday because there remains a gap between the two sides on the issue of rice, Nikkei reported. 

Japanese officials are unhappy that a US presidential order would include plans for Japan to increase purchases of American rice and a reduction of tariffs on agricultural products, the report said Friday. Japan objects to the order that would be sent to US government agencies as some points have not been resolved, Nikkei said, citing unidentified Japanese officials.

Akazawa said on Friday that he expects to visit the US at least once more before the Trump administration issues an executive order that would formally lower tariffs on goods imported from Japan. Japanese staff are currently in the US discussing the matters with their US counterparts, he said, adding it has become clear that more administrative talks were needed.

"We have repeatedly confirmed the importance of faithfully and promptly implementing the agreement between Japan and the US, and this will be addressed once all of the points that need to be ironed out are clearly resolved," Akazawa said Friday. "We will move on to the actual implementation phase of the agreement, but there are discussions that must be completed before that."

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