TOKYO/BENGALURU (Feb 20): Japan's Trade Minister Yoji Muto plans to visit the US in March, and will seek exemptions from Trump’s administration plans to set import tariffs on steel and cars, the Asahi newspaper reported on Thursday.

Muto is arranging meetings with newly confirmed US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and other top officials, also to discuss plans to buy more American natural gas, and Nippon Steel's stranded bid to acquire US Steel, according to the report.

Japan has asked the US to exempt it from steel and aluminium tariffs, Muto said last week.

After US President Donald Trump's remarks to put 25% tariffs on car imports from April, officials said Tokyo has impressed upon Washington on how important the car industry is to Japan's economy.

Carmakers such as Toyota, Honda and Nissan, and their suppliers, employ more than five million people in Japan, representing some 8% of the country's workforce, according to a trade group.

The transport machinery sector, including cars, produces about 3% of Japan's gross domestic product (GDP), the government said in a Wednesday report, highlighting the potential impact of tariffs.

Nearly 90% of Japanese firms see Trump's policies as harmful to their business environment, a Reuters survey of major Japanese companies found.

Muto aims to visit the US by March 12, when the 25% tariffs on US imports of steel and aluminium are due to take effect, but the schedule is fluid, depending on Japanese parliament budget sessions, the Asahi reported, citing multiple unnamed government sources.

Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy