Trump threatens tariffs on Japan over rice exports

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump threatened on June 30 to send Tokyo a letter with a new tariff rate, days before a deadline where higher levies will restart for dozens of trading partners, including Japan.

Mr Trump’s comments on social media – over what he called Japan’s reluctance to accept US rice exports – came after his top economic adviser separately signalled plans to finalise deals with countries in the coming days.

“I have great respect for Japan, they won’t take our rice, and yet they have a massive rice shortage,” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

“In other words, we’ll just be sending them a letter, and we love having them as a trading partner for many years to come,” he added.

Earlier in June, Mr Trump said he would inform other countries of unilateral US tariff rates by sending letters to tell them “what the deal is”.

A trade association for the US rice industry said on its website that Japan is the US’ second-biggest milled rice export market in volume.

While Mr Trump imposed a sweeping 10 per cent tariff on imports from most trading partners in April, he unveiled – then paused – higher rates on dozens of economies to allow room for negotiations.

This pause expires on July 9, meaning the elevated rates are due to kick in next week if countries fail to reach agreements with Washington to avert them.

To date, only two pacts have been announced. One was a broad framework with Britain, and the other was a deal to temporarily lower steep tit-for-tat duties with China.

Earlier on June 30, National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett told CNBC that Washington had a “double-digit” number of pacts, including frameworks, nearing agreement.

He said that as soon as a major