Japan's top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa held talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on U.S. tariffs on Thursday, as Tokyo races to avert a 25% levy that will be imposed unless a deal is clinched by an August 1 deadline.

Tokyo and Washington are stepping up diplomatic engagement amid rising trade tension, with leaders signaling efforts to keep dialogue open.

Fears of a recession are mounting in the world's fourth-largest economy, after export to the US declined for the second month in a row in June. View on euronews