Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yoji Muto, who is visiting the United States, met with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on the 10th local time and requested that Japan be excluded from additional tariff measures on automobiles and steel, but reportedly did not receive a positive response.
According to NHK and Kyodo News, Minister Muto met with Secretary Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Chief Jamieson Greer in Washington, D.C. During talks with Secretary Lutnick, he requested that Japan be exempted from being targeted for additional tariffs on automobiles and steel.
However, after the meeting, Minister Muto told reporters that he did not receive a “positive answer.”
As a result, Kyodo News reported that there is an increasing likelihood that Japan will be included in the tariffs on steel and aluminum that the U.S. may impose starting on the 12th.