Seoul will take a close look at the terms of a U.S.-Japan trade deal, South Korea's industry minister said on Wednesday, holding out the prospect of greater cooperation in the energy and industrial sectors ahead of key trade talks in Washington.

The LDP’s loss in the upper house is another blow to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who has been struggling to close a trade deal with the Trump administration.

SEOUL (Reuters) -Talks between top South Korean and U.S. officials to negotiate over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs have been postponed due to a scheduling conflict for U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, South Korea's finance ministry said on Thursday.

Japan's top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, said on Saturday he planned to visit Washington next week to hold further ministerial-level talks with the United States. Tokyo hopes to clinch a deal by an August 1 deadline that will avert President Donald Trump's tariff of 25% on imports from Japan.

President Trump announced Tuesday that his administration had wrapped up a massive trade agreement with Japan, two weeks after threatening the US ally with 25% tariffs.

That's down from the 25% levies he proposed earlier this month. Japan's prime minister says duties on autos from his nation will be cut to 15% from 25%.

Japan's top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa held talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on U.S. tariffs on Thursday, as Tokyo races to avert a 25% levy that will be imposed unless a deal is clinched by an August 1 deadline.

Asia-Pacific markets traded higher on Wednesday following Tuesday’s announcement by US President Donald Trump of a major tariff deal with Japan, including a 15% levy on Japanese exports, while US–Chin