The head of the Japan Economic Association has urged the Japanese government to be more persevering in negotiations with the United States

Masayoshi Tokura, president of the Keidanren, expressed concern about weakening confidence among Japanese domestic businesses amid fears that Trump's tariff hikes could trigger a global recession, according to a report by Kim Ten Data. "Many people in various industries are more concerned about how uncertainty could lead to a decline in spending and investment than any direct impact of U.S. tariffs," said Masayoshi Tokura. He also said that the tariffs have hit companies in the domestic auto, steel and aluminum industries particularly hard. While Japan has been trying to extract concessions from the Trump administration, the U.S. has refused to grant Japan an exemption from the tariffs, saying only the country-specific portion of the reciprocal tariffs is negotiable. Masaichi Tokura said the government of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba "must strive to eliminate all tariffs as soon as possible" and urged Tokyo to be more resilient in negotiations with the United States.