Thu Jul 03 12:49:29 UTC 2025: **Trump Threatens Hefty Tariffs on Japan, Casts Doubt on Trade Deal**
**Washington D.C.** – President Donald Trump has expressed serious doubts about the possibility of securing a trade agreement with Japan, threatening to impose tariffs of 30% to 35% if a deal is not reached by the July 9th deadline to reinstate global tariffs.
Trump accused Japan of being “spoiled” by what he characterized as decades of unfair trade practices. He specifically criticized Japan’s alleged reluctance to import US rice and cars, despite data showing otherwise. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), Japan imported $354.7 million of rice from the US between May 2024 and April 2025. Figures from the Japan Automobile Importers Association also show that Japan imported 14,724 US passenger vehicles worth $1.04bn in 2024.
“They and others are so spoiled from having ripped us off for 30, 40 years that it’s really hard for them to make a deal,” Trump said.
The US had a $69.4 billion trade deficit with Japan in 2024. Trump is seeking to close this.
The threat of tariffs has raised concerns among Japanese automobile and electronics manufacturers, whose exports significantly contribute to the Japanese economy. Ryosei Akazawa, Japan’s chief trade negotiator, is planning his eighth visit to the US this weekend.
Japanese officials have so far remained tight-lipped about Trump’s comments. Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kazuhiko Aoki stated, “We are aware of what President Trump said, but we don’t comment on every remark made by US government officials.”
Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is against any trade deal which does not roll back tariffs on cars.
While Japan is a major holder of US debt, giving it some leverage, it is more reliant on the US as an export market. The US accounts for 19.1 percent of total Japanese exports in 2023.
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