Ishiba states no talk with Trump on auto tariffs at summit

Trump recognises Japan's US substantial investment, demo.qkseo.in job production

LNG, steel, AI and automobiles are areas Japan can purchase US

Nippon Steel will operate under US management, personnel

Japan will not raise defence costs without public support

TOKYO, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba expressed optimism on Sunday that his country could prevent higher U.S. tariffs, saying President Donald Trump had "recognised" Japan's substantial investment in the U.S. and the American tasks that it creates.

At his first White House summit on Friday, Ishiba told public broadcaster NHK, he explained to Trump the number of Japanese car manufacturers were developing tasks in the United States.

The 2 did not specifically go over car tariffs, Ishiba said, although he said he did not know whether Japan would go through the mutual tariffs that Trump has said he plans to enforce on imports.

Tokyo has so far left the trade war Trump unleashed in his very first weeks in workplace. He has actually announced tariffs on items from Canada, Mexico and China, although he postponed the 25% tasks on his North American neighbours to enable talks.

The escalating trade stress given that Trump went back to the White House on January 20 threaten to burst the worldwide economy.

Ishiba said he believes Trump "identified the reality Japan has been the world's biggest investor in the United States for five straight years, and is for that reason various from other nations."

"Japan is producing many U.S. jobs. I believe (Washington) will not go straight to the idea of higher tariffs," he said.

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

"Any action that exploits or excludes the other side will not last," Ishiba said. "The question is whether there is any problem between Japan and the United States that requires imposing greater tariffs," he added.

Japan had the greatest foreign direct investment in the United States in 2023 at $783.3 billion, followed by Canada and Germany, 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 but this could be done quickly, offered a pledge by Ishiba to bring Japanese financial investment in the U.S. to $1 trillion.

On Sunday, Ishiba determined melted gas, demo.qkseo.in steel, AI and automobiles as locations that Japanese business might buy.

He likewise touched on Trump's pledge to take a look at Nippon Steel purchasing U.S. Steel, instead of buying the storied American business - a planned 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 employees," Ishiba said. "The key point is how to guarantee it remains an American company. From President Trump's point of view, this is of utmost importance."

On military costs, another location where Trump has pressed allies for setiathome.berkeley.edu boosts, Ishiba said Japan would not increase its defence spending plan without first winning public support. "It is crucial to ensure that what is considered necessary is something the taxpayers can understand and support," he said. (Reporting by Leika Kihara: Additional reporting by Tim Kelly