BURSTPresident Trump says that Japan, which he characterized as "spoiled," will likely not make a deal with the United States on a tariff rate ahead of the looming deadline next week.
“We dealt with Japan. I’m not sure if we’re going to make a deal. I doubt it with Japan — they’re very tough. You have to understand, they’re spoiled. I love Japan. I really like the new prime minister, too. Abe was one of my closest friends, as you know,” he said on Tuesday, referring to former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe who died in 2022.
The president hosted the current Japanese prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, at the White House in February.
Trump noted this week that Japan has a rice crisis that has elevated prices, arguing that the country should turn to the U.S. for rice.
“But they and others are so spoiled from having ripped us off for 30, 40 years that its really hard for them to make a deal. You know, it’s very hard. As an example with Japan, they won’t take rice and yet they desperately need rice,” he said. “They won’t take any cars but they’ll sell millions. So, we told them, 'Sorry you can’t do that.'”
The president said that Japan will likely be getting a letter that would set the tariff rate ahead of the July 8 expiration on the 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs. Trump has said he will send letters soon to trading partners who haven’t struck deals.
“So what I’m going to do is I’ll write them a letter, say, 'We thank you very much. We know you can’t do the kind of things that we need and therefore you’ll pay a 30 percent, 35 percent or whatever the numbers that we determine,'” he said. “Because we also have a very big trade deficit with Japan, as you know and its very unfair to the American people.”
Trump on Monday had also suggested Japan would not be getting a trade deal with the U.S., sharing on Truth Social, “To show people how spoiled Countries have become with respect to the United States of America, and I have great respect for Japan, they won’t take our RICE, and yet they have a massive rice shortage.”
Officials, though, have insisted for months that talks are progressing with trading partners, including with Japan, as well as with India and Vietnam.
The administration has been working on trade deals during the 90-day tariff pause, but only agreements with China and the United Kingdom have been announced, despite the self-imposed ambitious goal of 90 deals in 90 days.