Japan is one of more than 20 countries receiving letters this week from the US president warning of "reciprocal" tariffs from August 1, failing a trade agreement with Washington
A member of staff works as bags of rice are seen piled up at a rice store in Tokyo on July 9, 2025. While US President Donald Trump imposed a 10 percent tariff on most US trading partners in April, the rate is set to rise for dozens of economies including the European Union and Japan come July 9. Image: Yuichi Yamazaki / AFP
Donald Trump's insistence that "spoiled" Japan imports more US rice is adding to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's problems ahead of elections that could sink his premiership after less than a year in office.
Japan is one of more than 20 countries receiving letters this week from the US president warning of "reciprocal" tariffs from August 1 failing a trade agreement with Washington.
The 25 percent across-the-board levy for Japan is separate from similar charges for cars, steel and aluminium that have already been imposed.
Trump wants to get Japanese firms to manufacture more in the United States and for Tokyo to buy more US goods—notably gas and oil, cars and rice—to reduce the $70 billion trade deficit with the Asian powerhouse.
"I have great respect for Japan, they won't take our RICE, and yet they have a massive rice shortage," Trump said on Truth Social on June 30.