Ishiba says no talk with Trump on at top

Trump acknowledges Japan's US substantial investment, job creation

LNG, steel, AI and autos 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 could prevent higher U.S. tariffs, saying President Donald Trump had actually "recognised" Japan's substantial financial investment in the U.S. and the American jobs that it creates.

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

The two did not particularly go over auto tariffs, Ishiba said, although he said he did not know whether Japan would go through the mutual tariffs that Trump has actually said he plans to enforce on imports.

Tokyo has so far left the trade war Trump released in his first weeks in workplace. He has actually revealed tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, pattern-wiki.win although he postponed the 25% tasks on his North American neighbours to enable talks.

The intensifying trade tensions considering that Trump went back to the White House on January 20 threaten to rupture the global economy.

Ishiba said he thinks Trump "recognised the fact Japan has been the world's biggest investor in the United States for five straight years, and is therefore various from other countries."

"Japan is developing lots of U.S. jobs. I think (Washington) will not go straight to the idea of higher tariffs," he said.

Ishiba voiced optimism that Japan and the U.S. can avoid a tit-for-tat tariff war, stressing that tariffs should be put in location in a way that "advantages both sides".

"Any action that makes use of or leaves out the other side won't last," Ishiba said. "The concern is whether there is any problem between Japan and the United States that calls for enforcing higher tariffs," he added.

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 yearly trade surplus with Washington however revealed optimism this could be done quickly, given a promise by Ishiba to bring Japanese investment in the U.S. to $1 trillion.

On Sunday, Ishiba recognized liquefied natural gas, steel, AI and vehicles as areas that Japanese companies might invest in.

He likewise touched on Trump's promise to take a look at Nippon Steel investing in U.S. Steel, instead of purchasing the storied American business - a prepared purchase opposed by Trump and obstructed by his predecessor, Joe Biden.

"Investment is being made to guarantee that it remains an American company. 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 perspective, this is of utmost value."

On military spending, another location where Trump has pushed allies for boosts, Ishiba said Japan would not increase its defence budget plan without very first winning public support. "It is crucial to make sure that what is considered required is something the taxpayers can comprehend and support," he said. (Reporting by Leika Kihara: Additional reporting by Tim Kelly