Japan asks US to exempt it from steel and aluminum tariffs

Japanese Industry Minister Yuji Muto on Wednesday asked the United States to exempt his country from tariffs imposed on steel and aluminum imports, in a move aimed at protecting Japanese industries from the economic repercussions of these measures.

This came after US President Donald Trump announced a significant increase in tariffs on steel and aluminum imports by 25 percent, stressing that this step aims to support local industries that suffer from competitive challenges. However, this decision raised fears of the outbreak of a multi-front trade war that could affect economic relations between the United States and its major trading partners, according to CNN.

Trump later indicated that he would carefully consider Australia’s request for exemption from these tariffs, due to the trade deficit it suffers from with the United States, and did not clarify whether there was a similar intention to consider the request of Japan or other allied countries.

Japan is one of the largest exporters of steel and aluminum to global markets, and a major economic partner of the United States. The Japanese government has expressed concerns that imposing these tariffs will harm trade relations between the two countries, especially since the United States is one of the largest importers of Japanese metal products.