Japan presses case for levy exemptions

Political purposes

The Mainichi Shimbun called the US new tariffs "an extremely unusual ultra-protectionist policy" for political purposes. Using his heavy-handed trade policy as a threat, Trump is intent on producing results ahead of midterm elections in November.

"There's a possibility that the US, in exchange, will demand market-opening measures and increases in military spending," the newspaper's editorial said.

"This puts the US at an advantage when it comes to bilateral negotiations because of its overwhelming economic and military power."

The newspaper called on the US, which is supposed to be a world leader, to solve disputes according to WTO protocol and take the responsibility to initiate and foster global collaboration.

The aluminum market is responding to the Trump administration's trade policy.

Global mining giants are pushing for higher premiums on aluminum ingots from Japanese buyers for next quarter as the prospect of the US restrictions on imports has spurred demand, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

Companies such as Anglo-Australian player Rio Tinto and Alcoa of the US seek $132 to $135 a ton for the April-June period, up 30 percent from the first quarter of the year.

Shipments to the US started picking up in January when Washington began seriously weighing measures to reduce aluminum imports. Premiums for the US market rose as well, the magazine said.

Trump's unilateral invoking of Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 for China's so-called violations of US intellectual property rights remind many Japanese experts of US highhandedness over trade with Japan from the 1960s through the 1980s. Washington highlighted its trade deficit when it pushed Japan to open up its market for products such as textiles, steel, televisions and machine tools.

The friction between the two countries was resolved through high tariffs on the US side and voluntary export restrictions on the Japanese side.

The Nikkei Shimbun said the decline of Japan's semiconductor manufacturing was partly due to US pressure at the time.