The U.S.-Japan trade deal is an economic win for Japan and its ruling party, but it may herald the end of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's term. The deal will also help strengthen U.S.-Japan military cooperation to deter China and help South Korea and Taiwan secure their own deals. In a July 22 post on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he had reached a trade deal with Japan that will reduce U.S. tariffs on Japanese goods to 15%, down from Trump's initially threatened 25%. Under the deal, which Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba confirmed on July 23, U.S. tariffs on Japanese automobiles will also be reduced to 15%, but Japanese steel and aluminum products will remain subject to 50% sectoral tariffs. In exchange for the reduced levies, Japan has agreed to remove non-tariff trade barriers to U.S. automobile imports and increase purchases of U.S. rice by 75%, as well...
