Japan’s prime minister has named Ryosei Akazawa as his chief negotiator with the US on tariffs.
The appointment follows a 25-minute phone call on Monday between Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and US President Donald Trump, at which no concessions were granted by the US but the two leaders agreed to hold further trade discussions.
Akazawa’s counterpart will be US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent, with the discussions expected to cover both tariffs and currency.
Akazawa, whose broad ministerial portfolio covers economic revitalisation, social security reform, wage increases and natural disaster management, warned on Tuesday that sharp movements in the yen, which have accompanied broader market turmoil, would have a direct impact on people’s livelihood.
