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Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he would remain in position to see through the trade negotiations with President Donald Trump’s White House, after suffering a major election defeat as the deadline to make a tariff deal closes in.
The defeat cost Ishiba’s coalition government its majority in Japan’s upper house on Sunday, July 20. It means the coalition now has a minority in both houses of the Diet, which could complicate finalizing a trade deal that requires lawmaker approval.
Ishiba said he takes the result seriously, but his priority is to avoid creating a political vacuum and to tackle impending challenges, including the August 1 deadline for a tariff deal with Trump.
The Japanese leader said he hopes to reach a mutually beneficial deal and meet Trump, who has been sending letters to U.S. trading partners informing them of their new import tariff rate due to take effect in August unless a last-minute deal is made.
This is a developing article. Updates to follow.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
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