TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's economy minister Ryosei Akazawa will take charge of tariff talks with the United States, the government said Tuesday.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed during their telephone conversation on Monday to continue bilateral negotiations by their ministers.

Depending on progress at the ministerial-level talks, Ishiba will decide on "the appropriate timing" to visit the United States and speak face-to-face with Trump, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference.

The government on Tuesday launched a headquarters on the tariff issue, a day before a 24 percent reciprocal tariff on Japanese products is set to take effect.

Ishiba, who urged Trump to retract what he described as a "unilateral" measure, has vowed to take a whole-of-government approach to prevent damage to the Japanese economy.

He urged Cabinet ministers to assess the potential impact of higher U.S. tariffs, including a 25 percent duty on Japanese cars already in place, and ramp up diplomatic efforts to strongly ask the United States to walk back the measures.