Japan's Ishiba says he will push for US auto tariffs exemption

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday his government is making last ditch efforts to get U.S. President Donald Trump to exclude his country from an increase in auto tariffs due to take effect from Wednesday.

Ishiba told reporters he is willing to fly to Washington to negotiate directly with Trump. The U.S. will begin collecting 25% tariffs on auto imports on Thursday, with taxes on fully-imported cars kicking in at midnight, U.S. time. The tariffs are set to expand to applicable auto parts in weeks to come.

So far, Japan has not managed to win exemptions from the tariffs hitlist despite its status as the biggest U.S. ally in Asia. Japan has stepped up cooperation with other countries that also are being affected. Japanese Trade Ninister Yoji Muto flew to Seoul to meet with his counterparts from South Korea and China and agreed to promote a free and fair trade and investment, saying Trump’s trade policies are fueling protectionism.

The higher tariffs are a worry for Japan and major automakers like Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. Their exports to the United States are a major driver for the Japanese economy. A quarterly survey by the Bank of Japan released Tuesday showed business sentiment among large manufacturers worsened in the past quarter for the first time in a year.

“I don’t mind going to Washington, if necessary," Ishiba said.

He said officials from all related ministries, including foreign, trade and finance, are working “day and night,” to negotiate with their U.S. counterparts to resolve the issue. "When I see the overall picture and judge that it is appropriate for me to go, I must do so without hesitation, he said.

If the tariffs are imposed, he said the government will do what it must to minimize their impact on Japanese industries and jobs.

As short-term measures, the government plans to set up 1,000 consultation windows across the country to respond to concerns of small to medium-size auto parts makers and other manufacturers that would be affected by the U.S. tariff increase.

In case of damage to actual businesses, the government will do its utmost to support cash-strapped business owners, Ishiba said.

Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shows Osaka Expo mascot Myaku-Myaku, a red-and-blue creature that symbolizes cell and water, as he speaks at a news conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a press conference at his office in Tokyo Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a press conference at his office in Tokyo Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a news conference at the Prime Minister's office in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)

Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a news conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)

BRUSSELS (AP) — Britain and France on Friday accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in ceasefire talks to bring a halt to fighting in Ukraine and ramped up pressure on Moscow by insisting that he owes the United States an immediate answer.

Russia has effectively rejected a U.S. proposal for a full and immediate 30-day halt in the fighting after a Kremlin official said on Monday that Moscow views efforts to end its three-year war with Ukraine as “a drawn-out process.”

“Our judgment is that Putin continues to obfuscate, continues to drag his feet,” British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told reporters at NATO headquarters, standing alongside his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot in a symbolic show of unity.

Britain and France are helping to lead a multinational effort known as the “coalition of the willing” to set up a force to police any future peace in Ukraine.

Lammy said that while Putin should be accepting a ceasefire, “he continues to bombard Ukraine. It’s civilian population. It’s energy supplies. We see you, Vladimir Putin. We know what you are doing.”

Barrot said that Ukraine had accepted ceasefire terms three weeks ago, and that Russia now "owes an answer to the United States.” U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed frustration with Putin and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he promised last year to bring the war to a swift conclusion.

“Russia has been flip-flopping, continuing its strikes on energy infrastructure, continuing its war crimes,” Barrot said. “It has to be ‘yes.’ It has to be ‘no.’ It has to be a quick answer.”

He said that Russia shows no intention of halting its military campaign, noting that Putin on Monday ordered a call-up intended to draft 160,000 conscripts for a one-year tour of compulsory military service.

The two foreign ministers pledged to continue helping to build up Ukraine’s armed forces – the country’s best security guarantee since the U.S. took any prospect of NATO membership off the table.

Coalition army chiefs were due to meet in Kyiv on Friday. Defense ministers from the group will meet at NATO headquarters next Thursday.

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, left, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot arrive to address the media during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot addresses the media during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy addresses the media during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, left, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot address the media during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy, left, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot address the media during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Friday, April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)