Japan’s PM Shigeru Ishiba urges Trump to amend executive order on new tariffs

Prime Minister of Japan,  Shigeru Ishiba has urged US President Donald Trump to amend his executive order on Washington’s new, harsher tariffs

Shigeru Ishiba made these remarks when the US imposed 15% tariffs on Japanese exports, which went into force on Thursday.

As part of a recent bilateral trade agreement between the two nations, Japan’s senior tariff negotiator, Ryosei Akazawa, also came to Washington earlier this week to seek a prompt decrease in auto duties.

Before departing, Akazawa told a parliamentary committee that the goal of his visit was to clarify that the agreed-upon tariff provisions were not in dispute.

However, a White House official stated on Wednesday that Japanese products will not receive preferential status under the latest trade agreement, as Tokyo had expected.

Under the trade agreement, Japan has agreed to increase investment in the United States as part of a $550 billion program, while the United States will decrease its tariff on imported Japanese vehicles to 15% from the current 27.5%.

With automobiles a vital pillar of Japan’s economy, protracted tariff increases might harm major automakers such as Toyota and Honda, who rely significantly on the American market.