Japan’s trade minister lobbies for US tariff exemption

Tokyo’s trade minister said Monday he had asked US government officials to exempt Japan from vehicle and metal tariffs, but there was no sign Washington would agree to the request.

President Donald Trump’s administration is preparing to impose a 25 percent levy on steel and aluminum this week as well as a tariff on foreign automobiles from April.

Japan’s US-bound exports amounted to 21.3 trillion yen ($145 billion) in 2024 — with cars and other vehicles accounting for roughly a third of the total.

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto met US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and other officials in Washington on Monday.

“We have requested that the tariff measures announced so far by the US government should not be applied to our country,” Muto said after their talks.

But “the US side explained the importance they place on reviving the manufacturing industry in the US and securing employment”, he said.

“Based on this discussion, we will further discuss closely how we can make the national interests of Japan and the United States a win-win situation,” Muto said.

In Tokyo on Tuesday, chief cabinet secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi also said Japan had not received any assurances from the US side.

“It is our understanding that (Muto) has not secured confirmation that Japan would be excluded from tariff measures,” Hayashi told reporters when asked about the talks.

Japan is home to the world’s top-selling automaker Toyota, and the health of the auto industry impacts many of its industrial sectors, from parts manufacturing to steel and microchips.