Ishiba says no talk with Trump on auto tariffs at top

Trump identifies Japan's US substantial financial investment, task creation

LNG, steel, AI and vehicles are areas Japan can buy US

Nippon Steel will run under US management, staff

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 avoid greater U.S. tariffs, stating President Donald Trump had "acknowledged" Japan's huge investment in the U.S. and championsleage.review the American jobs that it creates.

At his first White House top on Friday, Ishiba told public broadcaster NHK, he explained to Trump the number of Japanese automakers were creating tasks in the United States.

The 2 did not particularly go over auto tariffs, Ishiba said, higgledy-piggledy.xyz although he said he did not know whether Japan would go through the reciprocal tariffs that Trump has actually said he plans to trouble imports.

Tokyo has so far left the trade war Trump unleashed in his first weeks in workplace. He has actually revealed tariffs on goods from Canada, Mexico and China, grandtribunal.org although he delayed the 25% duties on his North American neighbours to enable talks.

The escalating trade tensions because Trump went back to the White House on January 20 threaten to burst the worldwide economy.

Ishiba said he thinks Trump "recognised the truth Japan has actually been the world's biggest investor in the United States for 5 straight years, and is for that reason different from other nations."

"Japan is creating lots of U.S. jobs. I think (Washington) won't go straight to the idea of greater tariffs," he said.

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

"Any action that makes use of or omits the other side will not last," Ishiba said. "The concern is whether there is any issue in between Japan and the United States that calls for enforcing higher tariffs," he included.

Japan had the greatest foreign direct financial in the United States in 2023 at $783.3 billion, setiathome.berkeley.edu followed by Canada and Germany, hikvisiondb.webcam according to the most current U.S. Commerce Department data.

Trump pushed Ishiba to close Japan's $68.5 billion yearly trade surplus with Washington however revealed optimism this might be done rapidly, forum.pinoo.com.tr given a promise by Ishiba to bring Japanese financial investment in the U.S. to $1 trillion.

On Sunday, Ishiba identified melted gas, steel, AI and vehicles as areas that Japanese business could purchase.

He also discussed Trump's pledge to take a look at Nippon Steel investing in U.S. Steel, as opposed to purchasing the storied American company - a prepared purchase opposed by Trump and blocked by his predecessor, Joe Biden.

"Investment is being made to make sure that it remains an American company. It will continue to run under American management, with American staff members," Ishiba said. "The bottom line is how to ensure it remains an American company. From President Trump's point of view, this is of utmost significance."

On military spending, another area where Trump has pushed allies for boosts, library.kemu.ac.ke Ishiba said Japan would not increase its defence budget without first winning public support. "It is vital to guarantee that what is considered needed is something the taxpayers can comprehend and support," he said. (Reporting by Leika Kihara: Additional reporting by Tim Kelly