SEOUL, South Korea — Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday it is “truly regrettable” that the U.S. will impose a 25% tariff on its exports beginning Aug. 1, but the Trump administration is encouraging progress in trade negotiations.
Tokyo will “actively seek the chance of an agreement that benefits both countries, while protecting Japan’s national interest,” Mr. Ishiba told Cabinet ministers, according to the Reuters news agency.
Meanwhile, a key aide to South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said the three-week period before the 25% U.S. tariff takes effect gives Seoul “time to respond” to President Trump’s demands for equitable trade.
Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Kim Yong-beom stressed Tuesday to trade negotiators that “national interest is the top priority.”
Japan and South Korea, both key U.S. allies in the Indo-Pacific, received letters sent Monday by the Trump administration notifying them of the imminent levies against the products they