Trump complains dealing with Japan ‘really hard’

US President Donald Trump. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)

By Jiji Press, Philippine News Agency

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that it would be “really hard” to strike a tariff deal with Japan.

“I’m not sure if we’re going to make a deal, I doubt it, with Japan,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

“(Japan) and others are so spoiled from having ripped us off for 30, 40 years that it’s really hard for them to make a deal. You know, it’s really hard.”

He expressed dissatisfaction over Japan’s refusal to expand rice imports from the United States despite a shortage of the grain in the country, as well as over automobile trade with Japan.

“What I’m going to do is I’ll write them a letter, say…you’ll pay a (tariff rate of) 30 percent, 35 percent, or whatever the number is that we determine,” he said.

Trump said that Japan was “tough” in negotiations, adding, “I really like their new Prime Minister (Shigeru Ishiba).” At the same time, he complained that Tokyo was “very unfair” regarding trade.