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President Donald Trump speaks with reporters as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office at the White House on Monday. Image: AP/Alex Brandon
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Japan seeks exemption from U.S. steel, aluminum tariffs

14 Comments

Japan on Wednesday requested that its steel and aluminum products be exempt from 25 percent tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump, who vowed to put the penalties into effect next month, the government's top spokesman said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said the government formally requested the exemption through the Japanese Embassy in the United States.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who met with Trump last week, said in parliament, "We will take necessary measures, including lobbying the United States for an exemption, while closely monitoring any possible impact on the Japanese economy."

The tariffs are due to take effect on March 12, according to the White House. It was Trump's first sector-based tariff order since taking office last month.

In 2018, during his first presidency, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, citing national security concerns.

But several U.S. trading partners, including Japan, were granted duty-free quotas under the administration of Joe Biden.

Japan's quota was set at 1.25 million tons per year starting in April 2022, with any shipments exceeding that amount subject to tariffs.

But Trump on Monday signed proclamations removing the exceptions, prompting a vow of retaliation from the European Union.

Japan's U.S.-bound steel exports totaled 302.6 billion yen in 2024, accounting for 1.4 percent of the total export value to the United States, while aluminum and other related products amounted to 26.4 billion yen, according to Finance Ministry data.

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14 Comments
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Wasn’t the broad tariff action necessary to counteract so-called transshipments of steel and aluminum — countries like Japan importing raw metals from nations such as China, then processing it and shipping it to the U.S. as an export of their own, thereby avoiding tariffs on China.

What’s going to stop these transshipments if Japan is granted an exemption?

-3 ( +8 / -11 )

If President Trump sees fit to inflict 25 percent tariffs on Japan steel, aluminium, a loyal trusted ally, whose Prime Minster is prepared to be at his beckoned call, shame on him

1 ( +12 / -11 )

and in 24h, he will call this off for 90 days, no?

How can anyone trust anything this man says?

3 ( +10 / -7 )

If President Trump sees fit to inflict 25 percent tariffs on Japan steel, aluminium

Is it Japan’s steel or China’s transshipped steel?

0 ( +8 / -8 )

itsonlyrocknroll

If President Trump sees fit to inflict 25 percent tariffs on Japan steel, aluminium, a loyal trusted ally, whose Prime Minster is prepared to be at his beckoned call, shame on him

You constantly rail against China. Yet, here you encourage a tariff loophole for Chinese steel.

What gives?

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Australia was granted its exemption by not criticising Trump’s sanctions against the ICC. Presumably Japan is hoping to do the same. What a way to run a world

4 ( +9 / -5 )

“Lobbying the United States for an exemption?” Why not talk about imposing retaliatory counter tariffs on imports from the US and hit where Trump hurts most. That’s what normal countries do.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Back in line. The list of nations freaking out over this is already lengthy.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Lol

your pm’s visit didn’t do squat.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Is that why they held off on bashing the International Criminal Court?

Sucking-up-to-the-felon points?

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Asiaman7Today  04:41 pm JST

Wasn’t the broad tariff action necessary to counteract so-called transshipments of steel and aluminum — countries like Japan importing raw metals from nations such as China, then processing it and shipping it to the U.S. as an export of their own, thereby avoiding tariffs on China.

The steel that Japan exports to the U.S. is very high grade specialty steels as they have the advanced processing capability. Most of that steel is domestic Japanese, with a small portion of both raw and semi-finished steel imported from China. Japan protects it own steel industry from Chinese competition. As an exporter of steel to the U,S. Japan is not high on the list.

Canada - Number one supplier with exports valued at $8.36 billion.

Mexico - contributing $7.41 billion in iron and steel exports to the U.S.

Brazil- exports to the U.S. worth $4.56 billion.

4 India- $2.76 billion

5 South Korea - $1.9 billion

6 Japan - $1.28 billion of high grade specialty steels

7 Germany- $1.22 billion

9 China- $757.1 million (with articles made of iron/steel at $13.2 billion)

10 7 Turkey - $736 million

These top 10 countries account for 77% of the U.S.'s iron and steel imports.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Asiaman7,

You would not ask my opinion, if you did not already know the answer.

Come on please.

You don't need me, of all people to spell out the government of China undermined the global rules based trading system, a clear infringement of trade practices by the World Trade Organization.

Japan, its people are not trade “predatory”.

99.9% A loyal US ally,

I will contend there some "ducking and diving" , send some slack.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Respectfully, I will not blow smoke up President Trump backside, 25% tariffs is an outrageous kick in the goolies. Nothing less.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

If Australia gets the exemption it wants on steel and aluminum, both worth less than 1 Billion USD a year, it may be because the US has had a large trade surplus with Australia for decades.

Japan, Canada and others have trade surpluses with America.

Tariffs on All nations by the US simply drives nations do redirect trade away from the US and rely more on each other, in the end reducing US trade with all nations, and less income from its own already limited manufacturing exports, damaging its agricultural sector and potentially damaging services exports as well.

The US will make itself a poison chalice limiting itself on the world stage and gifting supremacy to others only too eager to take the mantle of world leader. The question now is who is the leader of the free world? It certainly is no longer America, and the world wont follow Russia or China as they are also dictatorships and not free.

So who will the world look to for leadership? Or is anarchy the future for us all?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@OssanAmerica + @itsonlyrocknroll

You both still don’t seem to get the full picture.

Yes, Japan is a great friend to the U.S. and was thus granted duty-free quotas under the Biden administration.

However, Trump imposed this tariff on Japan, in addition to Canada, Mexico, and South Korea, to close the transshipment loophole that China has been exploiting.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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