Trump determined to keep 25% tariff on Japanese autos
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a press conference on June 27. (White House)
KEN MORIYASU
WASHINGTON -- Japan takes in no American cars, and its vehicles should remain subject to a 25% auto tariff in the U.S., President Donald Trump said in a Fox Business interview aired Sunday, shattering Japan's hopes of winning an exemption based on its relationship as a trusted ally.
The Trump administration now has three sets of tariffs on goods from many countries: a 10% baseline tariff, the currently paused country-by-country "reciprocal" tariffs based on the size of the trade deficit, and sector-specific 25% tariffs on autos, steel and aluminum based on national security concerns. Trump announced April 2 that the "reciprocal" tariff on Japanese goods would be 24% -- that is, 14% plus the 10% baseline.
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