Berk Kutay Gökmen
14 February 2025•Update: 15 February 2025
ISTANBUL
Japan will respond to US' reciprocal tariffs with "appropriate measures," Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Friday.
"We have already started communication with the US side," Iwaya said at a Tokyo news conference, referring to the Trump administration's new tariffs.
He emphasized Japan will "specifically look into the substance of the measures that will be taken" by the US, while Tokyo will "look into the impact and take appropriate measures," according to a recording of his news briefing.
On Thursday, US President Donald Trump laid out his plan for what he called "great" reciprocal tariffs on US trading partners that impose duties and other economic penalties on American exports.
The new economic penalties, which Trump said are "fair to all" nations, would be imposed on top of other duties he has already rolled out since assuming office in January.
Earlier, Trump raised tariffs to 25% on steel and aluminum imports.
On Trump’s initiative to end the war in Ukraine by directly negotiating with Russia, Japan’s foreign minister said Tokyo is “monitoring the developments with great interest.”
“The involvement of Ukraine is very important in order to ensure long-lasting, just peace,” Iwaya said.
Sovereignty and territorial integrity are extremely important, and that is the view of the Japanese government, he said, referring to Ukraine.
Tokyo joined its western allies, led by the US, to impose sanctions on Moscow over the Russia-Ukraine war, which completed three years earlier this month.
