Washington (United States) (AFP) - The United States and Japan still have "significant differences" to define which will be the first projects to which 550 billion dollars of Japanese investments will be allocated in the North American country, the Japanese Minister of Commerce said on Thursday.
First modification: 02/13/2026 - 14:17
Minister Ryosei Akazawa visited Washington to discuss the colossal package of resources that Japan promised between now and 2029 in exchange for reducing the additional tariffs that President Donald Trump threatens to impose on Japanese products.
"There were still areas where significant differences remained. However, we were able to see new progress," Akazawa told reporters after meeting his US counterpart, Howard Lutnick.
Most of the $550 billion should consist of loans or guarantees provided by Japanese public bodies to support private financing.
The memorandum of understanding stipulates that Washington will retain control over the destination of Japanese investments. The proposed projects will be vetted by a committee before being selected and ultimately approved by Trump himself.
Akazawa met with Lutnick to prepare the ground ahead of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's visit to the United States in mid-March.
"We confirm every time we meet that participating Japanese and American companies must be able to make solid profits and absolutely not suffer losses," Akazawa added.
He also added that "no decisions have been made" regarding the schedule of future talks or his next visit.
© 2026 AFP
The content you requested does not exist or is no longer available.
