• Japan's trade negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, has canceled a visit to the US due to unresolved issues.
• The canceled talks were intended to finalize details of a $550 billion investment package.
• Japan and the US previously agreed on a reduced 15% tariff in exchange for the investment deal.

Japan's chief trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa abruptly canceled his planned trip to the United States, intended for Thursday, amid ongoing discussions about a significant $550 billion investment package. The cancellation was attributed to outstanding issues that needed to be resolved at an administrative level before moving forward with ministerial talks, according to Reuters.

The planned discussions aimed to finalize the financial details of the investment, specifically how to equitably split returns between Japan and the US. Despite Akazawa's trip being postponed, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick affirmed an announcement regarding Japan’s investment would occur this week. Numerous media sources, including Channel News Asia and Reuters, noted that discussions at the working level remain ambiguous.

Previously, in July, Japan and the US had agreed to impose a reduced 15% tariff on imports from Japan in exchange for the investment package. However, key details are still pending resolution. Government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi emphasized the need for an amended presidential executive order to clarify tariff overlaps before formalizing the investment details, as cited by Reuters and India Times.

Despite proclaiming the deal as "our money to invest," U.S. officials and President Trump have faced scrutiny, as the specifics surrounding the distribution of investment returns remain a contentious subject. Observers note that Japanese officials assert the investments will be contingent upon mutual benefits for both parties, reinforcing the complexity of the negotiations, as mentioned in Reuters and Reuters.