Newspaper Seller: Here’s the special issue on tariff negotiations with the U.S.A.!

There was a major development in the US-Japan tariff talks on July 23.

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru: An agreement was reached with President Trump on the US-Japan talks on US tariff measures. The tariff rate, which was supposed to be raised to 25% in reciprocal tariffs, was able to be kept at 15%.

It was announced that they agreed to impose a 15% reciprocal tariff on imports from Japan, and to allow Japan to invest up to $550 billion USD (over 80 trillion Japanese yen) in the United States.

Nippon TV visited a soy sauce manufacturing company north of Tokyo to ask about the effects of the tariffs.

NTV Reporter: What’s this?

Yugeta Yoichi, Owner, Yugeta Shoyu: It’s soy sauce to be shipped to the United States.

NTV Reporter: It’s going to the US?

Yugeta Yoichi, Owner, Yugeta Shoyu: We're putting them on a truck today, to be shipped off to the US.

The company is continuing to expand overseas, particularly in the USA and South-East Asia.

As for the US-Japan trade agreement...

Yugeta Yoichi, Owner, Yugeta Shoyu: I would really have liked to have little or no tariffs like before, but it seems like there’s tariffs worldwide. Thank goodness it’s only 15%.

The trade agreement has left people both reassured and uncertain.

There’s also another reason for uncertainty...

Yugeta Yoichi, Owner, Yugeta Shoyu: The percentage of tariffs is changing all the time, so I'm just wondering what's going to happen.

The concern is that the tariffs could be increased again, depending on how President Trump feels.

For that reason...

Yugeta Yoichi, Owner, Yugeta Shoyu: I’m looking to increase my export destinations now. I have business meetings and an exhibition in Singapore in October, and I’ll be going to Thailand in November.

Even if a 15% tariff is decided, the company will continue to expand its sales channels to other countries as before.