‘Mr Japan’ bends the knee – and falls on his sword

“MR JAPAN” finally has his trade deal, after three months of talks. It looks like it will be his final act.

After a third successive blow from the Japanese electorate, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba blinked in trade talks with the US. He spent months seeking a complete removal of the levies that President Donald Trump held over the country, including those already imposed on cars.

“We will never accept tariffs, especially on autos,” Ishiba said in May, declaring the issue his red line. With vehicles long the main source of Trump’s ire – perhaps understandably, given that they account for more than three-quarters of the trade deficit – getting the president to back down was always going to be a tough ask, especially considering Japan’s lack of leverage.