Misreading Trump: Ally Japan Is Spurned on Tariff Exemptions
- 6 years ago
Misreading Trump: Ally Japan Is Spurned on Tariff Exemptions
Mr. Trump’s announcement offered a path for countries left off the initial list to “discuss with the United States alternative ways to address the threatened impairment of the national security caused by imports of steel articles.” This week, Japan’s trade minister, Hiroshige Seko, told reporters there was a “high chance”
that some of its steel and aluminum products would be exempted.
In niggling comments during a visit to Tokyo last fall, Mr. Trump told Japanese executives to “try building your cars in the United States instead of shipping them over,” ignoring the fact
that Japanese carmakers build nearly four million vehicles in plants in the United States annually, more than twice the number the industry ships from Japan.
“I’ll talk to Prime Minister Abe of Japan and others — great guy, friend of mine — and there will be a little smile on their face,” Mr. Trump said.
“And the smile is, ‘I can’t believe we’ve been able to take advantage of the United States for so long.’ So those days are over.”
Analysts said that Mr. Trump was clearly playing to his domestic audience.
On Friday, Mr. Seko, the trade minister, said it was “extremely regrettable”
Japan had not immediately been exempted from the steel and aluminum tariffs.
“So in order to get these concessions, this could be a very effective strategy.”
When announcing $60 billion in tariffs against China on Thursday, Mr. Trump directed a sugarcoated barb against Japan and Mr. Abe.
Mr. Trump’s announcement offered a path for countries left off the initial list to “discuss with the United States alternative ways to address the threatened impairment of the national security caused by imports of steel articles.” This week, Japan’s trade minister, Hiroshige Seko, told reporters there was a “high chance”
that some of its steel and aluminum products would be exempted.
In niggling comments during a visit to Tokyo last fall, Mr. Trump told Japanese executives to “try building your cars in the United States instead of shipping them over,” ignoring the fact
that Japanese carmakers build nearly four million vehicles in plants in the United States annually, more than twice the number the industry ships from Japan.
“I’ll talk to Prime Minister Abe of Japan and others — great guy, friend of mine — and there will be a little smile on their face,” Mr. Trump said.
“And the smile is, ‘I can’t believe we’ve been able to take advantage of the United States for so long.’ So those days are over.”
Analysts said that Mr. Trump was clearly playing to his domestic audience.
On Friday, Mr. Seko, the trade minister, said it was “extremely regrettable”
Japan had not immediately been exempted from the steel and aluminum tariffs.
“So in order to get these concessions, this could be a very effective strategy.”
When announcing $60 billion in tariffs against China on Thursday, Mr. Trump directed a sugarcoated barb against Japan and Mr. Abe.