TOKYO — The wide-ranging tariffs rolled out by the U.S. administration will hit Japanese companies in industries from construction equipment to food, making it harder for them to compete effectively in a crucial market.
Though U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a 90-day “pause” on the full reciprocal tariffs, which would have imposed a 24% duty on imports from Japan, a 10% baseline duty still took effect that day. This follows earlier levies on steel and aluminum products, as well as on vehicles. Autos account for almost 30% of Japan’s exports to the U.S.
