Japanese premier Shigeru Ishiba's bid to get U.S. President Donald Trump to relax tariffs imperiling his country's economy and his political future fell flat this week, underlining the gulf between the allies as more levies are set to kick in.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Tuesday that Tokyo will not rush a trade deal with the U.S. until it secures its national interests. “It is important to proceed slowly but surely,” Ishiba reportedly said at a press conference in Calgary on Tuesday during his visit to Canada for the G7 summit.