Trump threatens Japan with import tariffs at meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba

AFP Trump threatens Japan with import tariffs at meeting with Prime Minister Ishiba 1 hour • 1 minute reading time US President Donald Trump threatened import tariffs at a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington. When asked whether tariffs would follow if the "equality" demanded by Trump was not achieved in the trade balance between the two countries, the President said "yes" on Friday in the White House. Trump also announced that he would discuss with Ishiba the Japanese steel company Nippon Steel's planned takeover of US Steel. After Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ishiba is the second foreign head of government that Trump has received since taking office. The Japanese Prime Minister announced that his country would increase its investments in the USA. Tokyo is an important ally of Washington against China and North Korea. Around 54,000 members of the US military are stationed in Japan. Trump's predecessor Joe Biden blocked the takeover of US Steel by Nippon Steel earlier this year. Trump had initially supported this decision. However, US media recently reported that the president could give in on this point.