Tokyo, 14 February, /AJMEDIA/
Japan has been in contact with the United States over President Donald Trump’s plan to impose reciprocal tariffs and will respond “appropriately” after examining their impact, the top government spokesman said Friday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi did not reveal further details regarding the latest communication with the U.S. side, when asked if Tokyo had requested an exemption.
Trump laid out a plan on Thursday to introduce reciprocal tariffs to address what he views as the “unfair” trade practices of other countries. His administration plans to prepare a report detailing proposed country-by-country remedies within 180 days, first focusing on those with notable trade surpluses with the United States.
“We have already begun communicating with the United States following the announcement. We will thoroughly examine the specifics (of reciprocal tariffs) and the impact on Japan, and respond appropriately,” Hayashi told a regular press briefing.
The United States is a major trading partner of Japan, which exports a variety of products such as cars and electronics. Japan reported an 8.64 trillion yen trade surplus with the United States last year, according to Japanese government data.
Japan has already asked for an exemption from planned tariffs on U.S.-bound steel and aluminum.
