Four decades ago, Hiroko Suzuki's father threaded the needle of a U.S. trade war by pushing the family auto-parts business into newer niche products. Now, tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are so sweeping they threaten her own attempt to diversify the 78-year-old company into medical devices.

TOKYO] Japan’s chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa indicated his aim to resolve tariff talks in time for a June meeting between US President Donald Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba following Trump’s surprise pivot to allow a partnership between two of the countries’ steelmakers.

After meeting separately with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick in Washington, Ryosei Akazawa said they were able to hold "more frank and in-depth discussions" than previously, and it would be "very desirable" for their leaders to reach some kind of agreement next month.

Japan's top tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa intends to visit the United States around May 30 for a fourth round of trade talks, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Japan's exports to the U.S. dropped 1.8% in April from a year earlier, reflecting weaker demand for cars and machinery including chip-making machines. Read more:

Halfway through President Donald Trump's 90-day freeze on his so-called reciprocal tariffs, a persistent gripe is severe uncertainty.

Japan's exports to the United States, its largest single trading partner, fell nearly 2% in April as tariff hikes imposed by President Donald Trump hit home.

The problems Kyowa and other auto suppliers face illustrate a decades-long shift in Japan, which no longer floods the world with chips.