Photo/Illutration Chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa departs from Haneda Airport for Washington on April 30. (Chinami Tajika)

Japan’s trade delegation, led by chief negotiator Ryosei Akazawa, departed for Washington on April 30 for a second round of talks concerning tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

“Each passing day, Japanese companies are suffering losses,” Akazawa, minister for economic revitalization, said before leaving Japan. “I’m committed to making progress, even if only by a step or two.”

The talks, scheduled for May 1, are seen as a critical step in easing rising trade tensions between the two nations.

The first round of talks, held on April 16, reportedly saw the U.S. side calling on Japan to import more American-made vehicles and agricultural products.

Japan has since reviewed “non-tariff barriers” cited by Washington and is considering easing regulations as a bargaining chip to gain U.S. concessions on the tariffs.

The Japanese delegation also plans to highlight Japan’s imports of liquefied natural gas from the United States and efforts to expand Japanese investment in the country.

Trump unexpectedly attended the first round of talks at the White House, where he again expressed dissatisfaction with the low sales of U.S. cars in Japan as well as bilateral security arrangements.

However, he has since indicated that national security issues would not be tied directly to tariff talks.

The second round of talks is expected to remain at the ministerial level, without Trump’s participation, involving Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer.

The United States has imposed a 25-percent tariff on steel, aluminum and automobiles from countries, including Japan.

The Trump administration has also imposed a 10-percent tariff on other imports from Japan but paused an additional “reciprocal tariff.”