U.S. Starts Talks With Japan Over Steel, Aluminum Tariffs

The US administration of President Joe Biden said Friday it will start talks with Japan over tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, a move that may lead to easing the duties that were imposed on imported items under his predecessor Donald Trump.

Photo Insert: US Trade Representative Katherine Tai

"The US and Japan will seek to resolve bilateral concerns in this area (of steel and aluminum)," the Office of the US Trade Representative said, just ahead of next week's visit by USTR Katherine Tai and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to Japan.

The move comes as the Biden administration is working to rebuild alliances that it believes have been undermined by Trump's four years of unilateralist "America First" foreign and trade policy.

Frustrated with US trade deficits, Trump imposed tariffs in 2018 on steel and aluminum imports from trade partners such as Japan, a close US ally, and the European Union (EU), citing potential national security risks.

The Biden administration reached an agreement with the EU last month to end the Trump-era tariff rift, with the US side allowing a certain quantity of European steel and aluminum to enter duty-free and the EU suspending retaliatory tariffs on US products.

Japan is apparently hoping to follow suit, with Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda pressing for a "resolution" of the issue of steel and aluminum duties in phone talks with Raimondo earlier this month.

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