Statement by Minister Hagiuda on Steel and Aluminum

February 8, 2022

1. Today, the U.S. government announced a partial removal of tariffs on steel products and the complete removal of tariffs on derivative products imported from Japan under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act.

2. Japan considers that the WTO consistency of Section 232 tariffs is questionable and has requested the issue of such tariffs on steel and aluminum to be resolved completely in a manner that is compliant with WTO rules. While the actions taken by the United States today are a step towards this goal, Japan will continue to strongly urge the United States to resolve this matter completely.

3. Today, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), together with the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Office of the United States Trade Representative, released a joint statement on the steel and aluminum industries, which are key industries for both Japan and the United States. METI will seek sustainable development of the steel and aluminum industries through cooperation between Japan and the United States, based on their shared determination to tackle the problem of excess capacity resulting from non-market practices and the issue of carbon-intensity.

4. This Joint Statement also notes that Japan and the United States will confer on entering into discussions on global steel and aluminum arrangements. With regard to addressing excess capacity, discussions have been conducted at the Global Forum on Steel Excess Capacity and through the Japan-U.S.-EU Trilateral Trade Ministers’ Meeting. With today’s Joint Statement, Japan will continue its global leadership, together with the United States, and with the EU and other partners with shared ambitions, towards sustainable development of the steel and aluminum industries including by addressing market distorting measures and decarbonization.

5. With such intention of cooperation in the steel and aluminum sectors shared between our two countries, Japan will aim to further expand and deepen cooperation with the United States in the economic area.

Division in Charge

Americas Division, Trade Policy Bureau
Metal Industries Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau