Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, has hosted United States Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, ahead of a Washington deadline to reach a trade deal or face new tariffs.

US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened to impose a 25-percent tariff on all Japanese imports from August 1, in addition to tough levies already imposed on vehicles, steel and aluminium.

Ishiba said in a television interview this month that Japan will not easily compromise, stating the reason the deal is taking time.

Recall that Japan's tariffs envoy Ryosei Akazawa has travelled to Washington seven times since April for talks with top officials including Bessent, in a bid to persuade the Trump administration to scrap the plan.

Pundits have said Ishiba will be unable to engage in active negotiations with the United States until after an upper house election on Sunday that threatens to end his premiership.

Ishiba is facing falling approval ratings and several surveys have indicated his ruling coalition will likely lose its majority in the upper house.

The two leaders met last month on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Canada, and have had several phone calls.

Ishiba has repeated that Japan would not accept the planned tariffs, stressing that they could harm the economic strength of Japan, the biggest investor in the US economy.