Japan might have softened its stance in tariff negotiations with the United States, backing off from its insistence that all new tariffs be removed, according to a Friday report by the Asahi Shimbun.The report indicates that Japan is instead suggesting a mechanism in which the U.S. lowers the rate on automobiles based on a country's contribution to the American auto industry — something the report claims Japan has been considering since the early stages of the negotiations.Japan has so far maintained a hard-line stance — at least publicly — in demanding that the administration of President Donald Trump remove all tariffs it has imposed since March, including 25% on auto and auto parts, 50% on steel and aluminum and 10% baseline duty on almost all other imports.