TOKYO, May 4 (NNN-NHK) – Japanese Prime Minister, Shigeru Ishiba, yesterday, expressed his strong disappointment that a new 25 percent U.S. tariff on auto parts took effect earlier in the day.
Ishiba told reporters that, Japan will continue to ask U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to reconsider its tariff measures.
The U.S. administration, yesterday, imposed a new 25-percent tariff on imported auto components, including engines and transmissions, in another blow to Japan’s mainstay car industry, already slapped with the same rate of tariff on automobiles, that took effect early last month.
Ishiba also said, Japan is negotiating with the United States on “all” U.S. tariffs, following reports that the U.S. side is unwilling to offer exemptions on duties imposed on products, such as auto and steel.
The U.S. administration told Japan in their second round of negotiations, held in Washington on Thursday, that, it aims to focus mainly on reciprocal tariffs in its negotiations with Tokyo, while not including duties on automobiles, steel and aluminum, Kyodo News reported, citing Japanese government sources.
Japan has no intention of striking a trade deal with the U.S. administration, unless all of its new tariffs are reviewed, top negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, said yesterday, as he returned to Japan from the ministerial-level talks in Washington.
“We have pressed the United States to reconsider the series of tariffs and we can not reach an agreement, if that is not properly addressed in a package,” Akazawa, who is Japan’s economic revitalisation minister, told reporters.– NNN-NHK
