Trump’s Japan trade threats, false claims spark disbelief: ‘want confusion, chaos to stop’
Analysts fear this disinformation will strain the US-Japan alliance, risking economic uncertainty, especially in the auto sector
While officials in Tokyo have largely remained silent, analysts warned that the disinformation and policy unpredictability risked straining their alliance and sowing long-term economic uncertainty – especially in sensitive sectors such as automobile manufacturing.
On March 11, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Japan had imposed tariffs of 700 per cent on imports of foreign rice. When challenged on the accuracy of her comment, Leavitt replied, “I think it’s insulting that you’re trying to test my knowledge of economics and the decisions that this president has made.”
The 700 per cent figure cited by Leavitt – at 27, the youngest White House press secretary in history – was politely denied in Tokyo as having been based on old data and inaccurate.
Japan imports most of its foreign rice tariff-free under a World Trade Organization agreement. A steep tariff of 341 yen-per-kilogram (US$2.27) applies only to a small amount imported outside that quota. Current estimates put the effective rate closer to 400 per cent – far below the figure Leavitt cited.