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.

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba failed to reach an agreement on a trade package on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit, an outcome that leaves the Asian nation inching closer to a possible recession as the pain of US tariffs hits its economy.

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.