TOKYO, April 18. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump aims to eliminate the trade deficit between the United States and Japan, according to the Kyodo news agency. Citing sources within the Japanese government, the agency reported that the US leader voiced this position during the first round of negotiations with the Japanese delegation, which took place this week in Washington. Trump reportedly expressed particular dissatisfaction with Japan’s limited purchases of American automobiles and agricultural products. According to data from Japan’s Ministry of Finance, in 2024 the trade deficit between the United States and Japan amounted to 8.62 trillion yen ($60.5 bln). Japanese exports to the US totaled 21.3 trillion yen ($149.6 bln), while imports from the US stood at 12.65 trillion yen ($88.9 bln). The first round of US-Japan talks on tariffs and bilateral trade was held in Washington this week. Following the discussions, both parties agreed to work toward a prompt conclusion of a trade agreement and to hold a second round of talks before the end of April. Tokyo is primarily seeking a revision of US tariffs on automobiles, steel, and aluminum. On April 2, President Trump announced the introduction of tariffs on products from 185 countries and territories. Goods from Japan were subjected to a 24% tariff. Furthermore, effective April 3, the US administration imposed an additional 25% import duty on all automobiles, dealing a significant blow to Japanese interests. On April 9, the White House announced a 90-day suspension of planned tariff increases on goods from 75 countries that have demonstrated willingness to engage in negotiations. During this period, those countries will remain subject to a 10% import tariff.