TOKYO, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Japan's minister for economic and fiscal policy Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday that he has received assurances from the United States that as part of a bilateral deal Japan will not be asked to limit or restrict its exports of automobiles.
Following talks with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer about remarks reportedly made by U.S. President Donald Trump that Japan and the European Union (EU) would have their auto exports to the United States capped, Japan's top trade negotiator said Lighthizer had said this was not the case.
"Japan has maintained that it is against measures that distort fair and open trade practices," Motegi told a press briefing on the matter.
"Of course, that includes restrictions on exports, in other words, volume caps. Lighthizer confirmed that the United States will not seek such measures," Motegi was quoted as saying.
Japan had previously been in Trump's cross-hairs for its exports of automobiles and car parts to the United States, which were believed to be unfairly disadvantageous to the U.S. domestic industry and the two countries' trade balance.
Lighthizer's remarks will come as some relief to Japanese automakers, who have seen demand slump of late, particularly from their North American markets.
Lighthizer's assurances made to Motegi, however, run contrary to media reports that Washington could be gearing up to give Japan and the EU a 180-day deadline to reduce the amount of exports of automobile and related parts to the United States if new tariffs, slated to begin Saturday, are to be delayed.
Trump will visit Japan from May 25 to 28 as a state guest and again the following month for the G20 summit to be held in Osaka and hosted by Japan for the first time.
Trade and tariff issues are certainly to be high on the agenda, government representatives here have said.
