Bessent expects productive talks with Japan, hopes tariffs can come down

WASHINGTON, April 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that he expects to have productive negotiations with Japan over the country's high non-tariff barriers, adding that he hoped that negotiations could bring tariffs down.

"For countries that don't retaliate, we are at a maximum tariff level, and it is my hope that through good negotiations, all we will do is see levels come down," Bessent told Fox Business Network.

"But that's going to depend on the other countries. And if President Trump is going to be personally involved in these negotiations, and he believes, as many of us do, that there's been an unfair playing field, so the negotiation is going to be tough," he said.