Japan's Ishiba Reaffirms Intent to Stay On After Tariffs Lowered

JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER Shigeru Ishiba reiterated his intention to stay on as leader after securing the lowering of US auto tariffs, dismissing the view that implementation of the trade deal with Washington might change his mind.

- SAKURA MURAKAMI & GARETH ALLAN

"There's really no connection," Ishiba said, responding to questions from reporters in Tokyo.

Ishiba was speaking after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order implementing a maximum 15% tariff on most Japanese products, including cars and auto parts. The order came after weeks of negotiations that saw Japan pushing for execution of a trade deal reached in July.