Japan requests exemption from US tariffs on steel and aluminum set at 25%

Japan’s government announced on Wednesday that it has formally requested the United States to exempt it from the recently implemented 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum. This request marks a significant shift from the previously established duty-free quotas that Japan benefited from.

During a statement made through its embassy in Washington, Japan expressed its concerns after President Donald Trump decided to eliminate existing exceptions and exemptions that were previously in place. He raised tariffs on steel imports to a baseline of 25% while increasing aluminum tariffs from 10% to 25%.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi addressed the media, indicating that Japan will take appropriate actions as they carefully assess the implications of these new regulations on the nation’s economy. He hinted at a concerted effort by Japan to advocate for a tariff exclusion in the upcoming weeks, prior to the implementation of these measures.

The tariffs introduced by Trump are part of a broader strategy aimed at overhauling global trade dynamics, with the belief that increased taxes on imported goods will bolster domestic manufacturing.

Under the administration of former President Joe Biden, Japan was allocated a duty-free quota of up to 1.25 million tons of steel annually. In 2024, Japan exported about 1.18 million tons of steel to the United States, based on data from the American Iron and Steel Institute.

In the same year, Japan’s steel exports to the U.S. were valued at approximately 302.7 billion yen (around $2 billion), constituting about 1.4% of the total exports to the country. In contrast, aluminum exports were considerably lower, as indicated by the government’s data.