Meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce came hours before Trump’s higher tariffs on dozens of trading partners begins

The US confirmed it would end stacking of universal tariffs on Japan and cut car levies as promised, Tokyo’s top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said after a meeting on Thursday with his counterparts in Washington.

Japan is urging the United States to immediately implement tariff cuts agreed under a recent bilateral trade deal, including reductions on automobiles and auto parts. The request was made during a 90-minute meeting on Wednesday between Japan’s top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa and U.