
Major Asian nations have expressed strong concern and reaction to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports on Friday. They feared the tariffs will damage global trade relations and urged for a unified call for retaliation.
President Donald Trump has signed proclamation imposing 10 per cent tariff on aluminium and 25 per cent levy on steel on Thursday. The new tariffs will go into effect in 15 days. The move is likely to face retaliation from its major trading partners, though he announced exemptions for Canada and Mexico, and said exceptions could also be made for other allies.
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China's commerce ministry published a statement saying that it "resolutely opposed" a move by Trump to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports and urged the U.S. to withdraw the measures. The Ministry also said China would assess any damage caused by the US move and "firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests". It added that the tariffs would "seriously impact the normal order of international trade". China vowed to "firmly defend its legitimate rights and interests." The country is of the view that the tariffs would seriously impact the normal order of international trade.
Japan said the move would have a "big impact" on the close bilateral ties between the U.S. and Japan. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono called the United States' decision to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium "regrettable in a statement on Friday. The ministry said they would put pressure on the United States to exempt Japan from Washington's plan to impose tariffs on imports of steel and aluminium.
"The cost of a trade war will be tremendous and it will make everyone unhappy," Junichi Makino, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities in Tokyo, said in a report on Friday.
Trade tensions between China and United had started with Trump’s coming to power who vowed to protect the U.S. domestic metal and mining sector from cheap imports.
China's steel and metals associations have urged the government to retaliate against the United States tariff decisions. Trump's declaration coincided with the signing by 11 countries of a new Trans-Pacific trade pact that the United States withdrew from last year.
The European Union, Brazil and Argentina said overnight they would seek exemptions from such unfair tariff impositions. South Korea and Australia also said they would seek exceptions. South Korea said it may file a complaint to the World Trade Organization against the tariffs.
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