Japanese carmakers have largely absorbed the cost of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on auto imports, a move that may undermine the Asian nation’s negotiating power ahead of a July 9 deadline that will see duties rocket even higher.

President Donald Trump is threatening to impose higher tariffs on Japanese exports to the United States over what he claims is the country’s unwillingness to buy American-grown rice.

The Japanese government has informed the United States that its chief negotiator intends to conduct an eighth round of ministerial-le