The steel industry in Japan wants the country to be excluded from any U.S. import restrictions, as steel from Japan poses no threat to the U.S. national security, the head of the steel federation said.
The industry said last week that the U.S. Commerce Department’s proposal to President Donald Trump to impose curbs on steel imports violated the principles of free trade.
“Ideally, we want the U.S. to avoid imposing any import restrictions on steel,” Japan Iron and Steel Federation Chairman Kosei Shindo told a news conference.
“But in the worst scenario under which U.S. takes actions to curb imports, we want Japan to be excluded as we only export products that are needed for the U.S. economy and are not easily made in the U.S., giving no threat to U.S. national security,” he said.