Negotiations have stalled ahead of next week’s deadline, with some suggesting Japan misjudged the depth of President Trump’s frustration over Tokyo’s policies.

The Wall Street Journal says that Japan-US trade talks have been stalled for more than a month due to disagreements over auto tariffs.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Wednesday he was determined to protect his country's national interests as trade negotiations with the U.S. struggled and President Donald Trump threatened even higher tariff rates on the Asian ally.