The Blubber

The Trump administration has criticized Japan’s high rice tariffs, signaling that Tokyo may soon face reciprocal tariffs as part of the U.S. trade policy shift in the coming weeks.

During a press conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt pointed to Japan’s 700% rice tariffs, using a chart that also highlighted tariff rates on U.S. beef and dairy exports imposed by Japan, India, and the EU.

"Look at Japan, tariffing rice 700%," Leavitt said.
"President Trump believes in reciprocity. All he’s asking for at the end of the day are fair and balanced trade practices."

The remarks come just hours before new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum take effect, part of Trump’s broader trade strategy aimed at pressuring trade partners into concessions and correcting what he sees as unfair practices. The U.S. is also preparing a 25% tariff on foreign car imports starting April 2.

Japan, along with other key trading partners, has sent officials to Washington in recent days to negotiate exemptions from U.S. tariff policies. Japan’s Trade Minister Yoji Muto met with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, but his efforts to secure a reprieve were unsuccessful.

Asked about Leavitt’s comments, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi declined to respond directly, stating:

"We will refrain from commenting on each and every remark made by U.S. officials and will continue to communicate with our U.S. counterparts."

The rice tariff issue is gaining attention at a time when Japan is experiencing a rare spike in rice prices, drawing concern from both the central bank and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who previously served as agriculture minister. High import tariffs have long protected Japan’s domestic rice industry, but they have also kept imports from easing price pressures.

Japan does not impose tariffs on state-managed rice imports, which are capped at 770,000 tons per year. However, privately traded rice faces a levy of ¥341 ($2.30) per kilogram. In fiscal 2022, Japan imported 675,000 tons through government channels and only 773 tons through private trade.

Despite Leavitt’s 700% tariff claim, an official from Japan’s Agriculture Ministry told Bloomberg that the government does not publish tariff rates as percentages. Kenichi Kawasaki, a professor at the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, estimates that Japan’s actual tariff rate on U.S. rice is around 204%.