WASHINGTON/TOKYO (Reuters) -The United States and Japan struck a deal to lower the hefty tariffs President Donald Trump threatened to impose on goods from its Asian ally that included a $550 billion package of U.S.-bound investment and loans from Tokyo.

On any list of central bankers dying to get off this crazy thing called 2025, Japan’s Kazuo Ueda deserves a spot at the very top.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday is expected to deliver remarks on AI in Washington. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt is also scheduled to hold a press briefing at 1 p.m. The president also continues to face backlash from his MAGA supporters over his administration's handling of files related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump will host Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the White House today. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said yesterday that the two leaders could discuss trade and the upcoming Aug. 1 tariff deadline.

Japan's top tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday, the Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Japan's embattled prime minister Shigeru Ishiba, fresh off a crushing defeat in upper house elections over the weekend, will not be in a position of strength to negotiate a favorable trade deal with the U.S., analysts said.

Trump announced Tuesday that the U.S. had reached a “massive” deal with Japan to levy 15 percent tariffs on Japanese imports — including automobiles and auto parts — instead of the 25 percent rate he threatened earlier this month.