Japan's top government spokesman denied on Monday that Tokyo made too many concessions in trade talks with the United States, saying the fact the two countries were able to reach a broad agreement was "very valuable."
The United States and Japan agreed in principle on Sunday to core elements of a trade deal that President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said they hoped to sign in New York next month.
A final agreement would cool a trade dispute between the two allies just as a trade war between the United States and China escalates, but some Japanese commentators say Tokyo gave up too much.
In announcing the deal with Abe on the sidelines of a Group of Seven summit in Biarritz, France, Trump made no public commitment to drop his threat to slap additional tariffs on Japanese automobiles.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said he believed the United States would not resort to fresh tariffs because Trump and Abe had previously agreed that Washington would hold off while talks were under way.
"Japan and the U.S. have negotiated based on the joint statement last September," Suga told a news conference in Tokyo."Related ministers agreed based on that, so it was very valuable."
The agreement was reached after marathon talks between Japan's Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Washington last week.
