Japan again urges US to lift Trump-era tariffs

"We have requested that Japan should not be subject to the tariff measures that the US government has announced so far. We explained Japan’s position on the impact on Japan’s industry and with regards to the development of the business environment and expansion of investment and employment in both Japan and the US," Muto said to journalists.

Bloomberg reminds that additional tariffs on steel and aluminum are set to take effect on March 12, while the corresponding tariffs and the proposed 25% duty on foreign car imports are expected to take effect on March 2. Bloomberg adds that the new car import tariffs will deal a direct blow to Japan's economy.

In addition, Tokyo is preparing for the indirect impact of tariffs that Trump is imposing on other countries. Last week, the US president imposed tariffs on Canada and Mexico, but then postponed some of them, including car tariffs, for one month. Trump also doubled tariffs on China. All of these events are likely to affect Japan, as Japanese automakers operate in Mexico and Canada, and Beijing is one of Japan's most important trading partners.

Continuing his tariff campaign, Trump urged other countries to invest in the US rather than supply their goods there. Muto said he had the impression that Washington takes Japan's contribution to its economy seriously.

He concluded that they had explained that the US placed great importance on revitalizing its manufacturing industry and ensuring employment. He also mentioned that they had decided that further close consultations would take place to discuss how to achieve a win-win situation for the national interests of both Japan and the US.