Japan asks US for exemption from Trump steel tariffs

TOKYO, Feb 12: Japan asked the United States on Wednesday to be exempt from President Donald Trump’s tariffs on steel and aluminum exports, Tokyo’s top government spokesman said.

Trump has signed executive orders to impose 25 percent tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum starting March 12, triggering angry reactions internationally, including from Canada, Mexico, and the European Union.

“We are aware that the presidential order on additional tariffs on steel and aluminium was issued… we have requested the US government to exclude our country from the measures,” Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

The request was made through the Japanese embassy in the United States early Wednesday, he said.

“Japan will carefully study the content of the measures and their impact on our country and take necessary action,” he added.

Trump imposed similar tariffs during his first term to protect US producers from what he called unfair competition.

But his predecessor, Joe Biden, exempted Japan, allowing it to export up to 1.25 million tons of steel per year to the United States without paying duties.

That exemption, known as a tariff quota, “will be revoked,” a trade ministry official told AFP.

Under Trump’s latest policy, the tariff on steel will remain at 25 percent, while the tariff on aluminum will be raised to 25 percent from the current 10 percent, he said.

RSS / Agence France Press