Japan deplores the new customs duties imposed by the United States

Japanese government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed his regrets on Wednesday in the face of the United States’s decision to impose additional customs duties without granting exemption in Japan.

He warned that such, large -scale commercial restrictions could have significant repercussions on economic relations between the two countries, on the world economy as well as on the multilateral trading system.

During a press conference, Hayashi recalled that Japan had informed Washington that its steel exports were not a threat to national security in the United States. These statements come when the United States established 25 % customs duties on Wednesday on all imports of steel and aluminum.

Earlier in the week, the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yoji Muto, went to Washington to negotiate exemptions, but did not get any guarantee, according to local media.

At the end of his discussions with the American representative in trade, Jamieson Greer, and the Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lungick, Mr. Muto stressed that the US officials recognized the importance of Japan for their economy, without however giving insurance as for an exemption from customs duties, reports Kyodo News.

Despite this, Muto said Japan would continue to protect its companies from pricing measures. “In the light of recent discussions, we maintain close consultations in order to find a beneficial solution for the national interests of Japan and the United States”, He said, quoted by Kyodo.