Japan pM Ishiba, after Meeting Trump, Voices Optimism Over Averting

Ishiba states no talk with Trump on auto tariffs at top

Trump recognises Japan’s US huge investment, task creation

LNG, steel, AI and automobiles are locations Japan can buy US

Nippon Steel will operate under US management, personnel

Japan will not raise defence spending without public assistance

TOKYO, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed optimism on Sunday that his country might avoid higher U.S. tariffs, saying President Donald Trump had “acknowledged” Japan’s big investment in the U.S. and the American jobs that it produces.

At his very first White House top on Friday, Ishiba informed public broadcaster NHK, he explained to Trump how lots of Japanese car manufacturers were producing jobs in the United States.

The 2 did not particularly go over car tariffs, Ishiba said, although he said he did not understand whether Japan would undergo the reciprocal tariffs that Trump has actually said he prepares to impose on imports.

Tokyo has up until now left the trade war Trump let loose in his very first weeks in office. He has revealed tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, although he the 25% tasks on his North American neighbours to enable for talks.

The intensifying trade stress given that Trump returned to the White House on January 20 threaten to rupture the global economy.

Ishiba said he believes Trump “identified the truth Japan has been the world’s largest financier in the United States for five straight years, and is therefore various from other countries.”

“Japan is creating lots of U.S. jobs. I think (Washington) won’t go straight to the concept of higher tariffs,” he said.

Ishiba voiced optimism that Japan and the U.S. can prevent a tit-for-tat tariff war, worrying that tariffs should be put in place in a manner that “benefits both sides”.

“Any action that exploits or excludes the other side won’t last,” Ishiba said. “The question is whether there is any problem in between Japan and the United States that warrants imposing higher tariffs,” he included.

Japan had the greatest foreign direct financial investment in the United States in 2023 at $783.3 billion, followed by Canada and Germany, according to the most recent U.S. Commerce Department data.

Trump pressed Ishiba to close Japan’s $68.5 billion annual trade surplus with Washington however expressed optimism this might be done rapidly, given a guarantee by Ishiba to bring Japanese financial investment in the U.S. to $1 trillion.

On Sunday, Ishiba recognized liquefied gas, steel, AI and automobiles as areas that Japanese companies could buy.

He also touched on Trump’s pledge to look at Nippon Steel purchasing U.S. Steel, instead of buying the storied American company – a planned purchase opposed by Trump and blocked by his predecessor, Joe Biden.

“Investment is being made to make sure that it remains an American business. It will continue to operate under American management, with American staff members,” Ishiba said. “The crucial point is how to guarantee it remains an American business. From President Trump’s point of view, this is of utmost value.”

On military spending, library.kemu.ac.ke another location where Trump has actually pressed allies for boosts, Ishiba said Japan would not increase its defence spending plan without first winning public backing. “It is crucial to guarantee that what is deemed needed is something the taxpayers can understand and support,” he said. (Reporting by Leika Kihara: Additional reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by William Mallard)