The United States has criticized Japan for imposing steep tariffs on rice imports, calling for “fair and balanced trade practices.”
“Look at Japan,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said during a press briefing on Tuesday. “They’re tariffing rice at 700 percent.”
Despite the criticism, Japan’s Kyodo News reports that under the 1993 Uruguay Round agreement on agricultural trade, Japan imports hundreds of thousands of tons of rice tariff-free each year.
Leavitt emphasized President Donald Trump’s stance on trade, stating, “President Trump believes in reciprocity,” hinting that Japanese rice exports could face similar tariffs when the administration implements its new trade measures next month.
Trump previously directed officials to draft plans for reciprocal tariffs in February, aiming to align U.S. duties with those imposed by trading partners. His tariff threats, often announced and withdrawn in quick succession, have contributed to ongoing uncertainty in global financial markets since the start of his second term in January.
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