Japan vows not to retaliate on US tariffs

March 9, 2018

Tokyo- Japan has no plans to retaliate against the US tariffs on steel and aluminum imports ordered by President Donald Trump, trade minister Hiroshige Seko said on Friday.

"Exchanges of retaliation, which is unilateral action, won't serve the interests of any country," Seko told a press conference after Trump signed orders on Thursday to impose tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum in 15 days.

"Japan will consider a necessary response within the framework of the World Trade Organization," Seko said.

Under Trump's orders, the tariffs apply to all countries except Canada and Mexico. The Trump administration expressed its readiness to remove the tariffs on Japan and other allies depending on talks.

Japanese officials said Tokyo will request Washington to exempt Japanese products from the tariffs by using WTO mechanisms, for example.

"It is important to hold talks with the United States after a thorough examination of the US measures and their possible impact on Japanese companies," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a separate press conference.

Seko criticized the US measures, saying they are "extremely regrettable and could create confusion in the global steel and aluminum market.

He indicated that he will express regret and urge the United States to exempt Japanese products from the tariffs when he meets with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on the sidelines of a meeting of trade ministers from Japan, the United States and the European Union in Brussels on Saturday.

Seko did not say whether Japan will file a complaint with the WTO over the U.S. tariffs. "No specific decision has been made at this point," he said. Jiji Press