Japan's Ishiba to Meet Party Heads to Discuss Trump Tariffs

Tokyo, April 3 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will hold talks with other political party leaders Friday following U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs, Ishiba's ruling Liberal Democratic Party said Thursday.
 

Ishiba will meet with the head of the LDP's coalition partner, Komeito, and opposition leaders from the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan, Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), the Democratic Party for the People, the Japanese Communist Party and Reiwa Shinsengumi.
 

At the meeting, the prime minister is expected to explain the government's response to the U.S. trade measure and ask for cooperation of the political parties. The reciprocal tariffs, announced Wednesday, include a 24 pct levy on Japan.
 

The tariffs "are extremely regrettable and disappointing," Ishiba told reporters Thursday.
 

He held a meeting with related ministers and instructed his government to request the U.S. government to exempt Japan from the measure.
 

He also asked that his government take all possible measures, including financial support for domestic companies, out of concern about the impact on Japanese industries and employment.
 

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, during his trip to Brussels, had a brief conversation with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and expressed strong regrets over the reciprocal tariffs and an additional levy on automobile imports.
 

Meanwhile, Ishiba told reporters, "We have serious concerns about (the fresh U.S. tariffs') consistency with World Trade Organization agreements and the Japan-U.S. trade agreement."
 

He stressed that he may travel to the United States and directly meet with Trump to win an exemption from the tariffs, saying, "I won't hesitate to make approaches at the best time in the best manner."
 

Regarding Trump's claim that Japan places a 700 pct tariff on U.S. rice, Ishiba said, "We have no tariffs for the minimum access quota for rice imports."
 

"We apply a tariff of 341 yen per kilogram of rice imported outside the quota," he added.
 

"Based on the prime minister's instructions, the government will work as one to respond to the situation," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.
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