Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba: Trump may have been misled on some tariffs

2025-07-03 14:07:50
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump's views on some tariff-related issues may be based on misunderstandings or misinformation. The suspension period for the United States to impose a 24 percent reciprocal tariff on Japanese imports is set to expire next week. "We heard President Trump say that we will not import (U.S.) rice without American cars running in Japan. It may be based on misunderstandings or misinformation," Ishiba said. In fact, Japan has imported record amounts of U.S. rice in recent months as domestic rice prices have soared since last year, harming consumers. Still, Ishiba said that tariff talks with the United States are making steady progress, but he did not give specifics.