Trump Threatens Japan with 35% Tariffs after Tokyo Denies Concessions on Agriculture in Trade Talks
TMTPOST -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned that he could impose tariffs much higher than the existing reciprocal tariffs after Japan denied concessions on agriculture amid ongoing trade talks.
Credit：Xinhua News Agency
Trump on Tuesday reiterated his labeling of Japan as a “spoiled” trading partner, and expressed his skepticism on possible trade deal with the U.S. ally. “I’m not sure we’re going to make a deal. I doubt it with Japan, they’re very tough. You have to understand, they’re very spoiled,” Trump said.
Trump said he would force Tokyo to “pay 30%, 35% or whatever the number is that we determine, because we also have a very big trade deficit with Japan.” The tariff rates of 30% or 35% would notably be higher than the 24% duties on Japan that Trump announced on April 2, a date Trump proclaimed “Liberation Day”.
Trump on April 9 said that he has authorized a 90-day pause and “a substantially lowered reciprocal tariff” of 10% during this period, both effective immediately. Japan, like many other countries, since then faced a 10% baseline reciprocal tariffs and the original proposed 24% reciprocal tariffs on Japan are set to kick in on July 9, after the 90-day pause, if no trade deal is made to avoid these levies by the deadline.
Trump on Tuesday deepened his criticism on Japan for not accepting U.S. rice exports, and said auto trade between the two nations is imbalanced, showing no willingness to compromise on auto tariffs.
Trump issued his warning after a Japanese government spokesperson earlier Tuesday said the country will not sacrifice the agricultural sector as part of trade talks with U.S. "We are not thinking about doing anything that would sacrifice the farm sector," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference.
Trump these days blasted Japan for its unfair auto and rice trade, ramping up pressure for a deal ahead of the July 9 deadline.
In an interview with Fox News broadcast on Sunday, Trump said he doesn’t think he will need to extend the deadline and his administration would notify countries that they have to face higher tariffs unless they strike deals with the U.S.
“We’ll look at how a country treats us — are they good, are they not so good — some countries we don’t care, we’ll just send a high number out,” said Trump. He said letters to notify countries about future trade penalties will start going out soon before the July 9 deadline. Letters would say, “Congratulations, we’re allowing you to shop in the United States of America, you’re going to pay a 25% tariff, or a 35% or a 50% or 10%,” said the president.
Trump in the interview singled Japan out, implying he would impose 25% auto tariffs for unfair auto trade. He said the administration’s letter to Japan would go like “Dear Mr. Japan, here’s the story. You’re going to pay a 25 percent tariff on your cars.” “They won’t take our cars, right? And yet we take millions and millions of their cars into the United States. It’s not fair,” Trump added.
Trump on Monday suggested the U.S. government will skip negotiations and directly inform Japan about its planned tariff rates due to the unfair trade of rice. “To show people how spoiled Countries have become with respect to the United States of America, and I have great respect for Japan, they won’t take our RICE, and yet they have a massive rice shortage,” Trump said in a post on his social media Truth Social, referring to the rice crisis leading to rice prices in Japan rose sharply in the second half of 2024 and accelerated further in the first half of this year.
“In other words, we’ll just be sending them a letter, and we love having them as a Trading Partner for many years to come,” Trump continued in the post.
