U.S. to lift Trump-era tariff on Japanese steel

The United States and Japan have reached an agreement to ease the tariff on steel imports imposed by the Trump administration. Under the agreement, the U.S. will permit 1.25 million metric tons of steel to enter the U.S. from Japan each year duty-free. This comes after President Joe Biden last year directed the Commerce Department and U.S. Trade Representative to work with their Japanese counterparts to find a solution to the tariff issue.

In 2018, the Trump administration imposed a 25% tariff on steel imports and a 10% tariff on aluminum imports from dozens of countries. While the agreement announced Monday applies to Japanese steel, it does not address the tariff on aluminum imports from Japan. According to senior USTR and Department of Commerce officials, Japan chose not to include aluminum in the agreement. However, should the country make commitments on aluminum, the U.S. would be open to discussions, officials said.

The volume being allowed duty-free is based on the historical import average from Japan to the United States in 2018. All steel under the terms of the agreement must also be produced entirely in Japan. The agreement begins April 1.