U.S. tariffs on Japanese goods including cars and auto parts are set to be lowered by September 16, Japan's tariff negotiator Ryosei Akazawa said on Tuesday, Reuters reported. Citing a U.S. Federal Register document dated September 9 that formalised President Donald Trump's executive order on the U.S.-Japan trade deal, Akazawa said in a press conference the revised tariff rates on Japanese goods will take effect within seven days from its publication.

The Japanese economy grew at a faster pace than initially estimated in the second quarter, revised data showed, confirming a fifth straight quarter of growth, the Wall Street Journal reported. Real gross domestic product expanded 2.2% on an annualized basis in the April-June period, according to official figures released Monday. That compared with preliminary estimates of 1.0%. On a quarterly basis, the economy grew 0.5%.

President Donald Trump gave Japanese automakers some relief by cutting his high U.S. tariffs on their vehicles, but the reduced levies still mean big pain for Japan's smaller car companies, which will stay under pressure in the crucial market, Reuters reported. After months of diplomacy, Trump signed an order on Thursday cutting U.S. tariffs on imported Japanese autos to 15% from 27.5%, a rare bit of good news for Japan's critical industry, which relies on the United States as its top market.

Japan and the United States are in the final stages of talks to implement lower tariffs on Japanese automobile imports within 10-14 days after the issuance of a U.S. presidential executive order, a Japanese government source told Reuters on Thursday. That means that a reduced U.S. tariff rate on Japanese cars, from the current 27.5% to 15%, is set to take effect by the end of this month, said the source, who declined to be identified as the matter is confidential.

Japan Post Bank said it would launch a digital yen by the end of fiscal 2026 to make it more convenient for its depositors to make digital financial transactions, Reuters. reported. The move by the postal giant, which holds roughly 190 trillion yen ($1.29 trillion) in deposits, highlights a growing wave of domestic entities tapping blockchain technology to streamline financial transactions.

The Japanese government reiterated concerns about the risks of U.S. trade policies to economic growth, prompting a downgrade of its view on corporate profits, in a monthly report released on Wednesday, Reuters reported. While Japan's economy grew much faster than expected in the April-June quarter, analysts warn global economic uncertainties fuelled by U.S. tariffs could weigh on the world's fourth-largest economy in the coming months.

Japan's Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato said on Monday that cryptocurrencies can be part of a diversified portfolio, CoinDesk.com reported. "Crypto assets have risks surrounding high volatility, but through building an appropriate investment environment, they could be part of diversified investments," Kato said. The minister added that the government has been trying to ensure that innovation isn't stifled by excessive regulation.

The pace of Japan’s consumer inflation stayed well above the Bank of Japan’s target in July even as price growth moderated, supporting market speculation that the central bank will hike its benchmark interest rate again this year, Bloomberg News reported. Consumer prices excluding fresh food rose 3.1% from a year earlier last month, slowing from a 3.3% gain in June, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications reported Friday. The median estimate of economists was for a gain of 3%, with expectations there would be a drag from energy prices after they spiked a year earlier.

Japan’s exports sustained their steepest drop in more than four years in July as U.S. tariffs continued to weigh on global commerce, clouding the outlook for economic growth at a time when personal spending remains unsteady, Bloomberg News reported. Exports fell 2.6% in value from a year earlier, sliding more than the median forecast of a 2.1% decline, the Finance Ministry reported on Wednesday. The downturn, led by cars, auto parts and steel, was the biggest since February 2021. Export volumes rose by 1.2%, suggesting exporters are continuing to absorb U.S.

Japan's economy grew much faster than expected in the second quarter as export volumes held up well against new U.S. tariffs, giving the central bank some of the conditions it needs to resume interest rate hikes this year, Reuters reported. Gross domestic product (GDP) rose 1.0% on an annualised basis, government data showed on Friday, marking the fifth straight quarter of expansion after the previous quarter's contraction was revised to growth. However, analysts warn global economic uncertainties fuelled by U.S.