INTERVIEW: Trump Tariffs May Target Japanese Cars

New York, Nov. 23 (Jiji Press)--Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump may impose tariffs on Japanese cars exported to the United States, Stefan Angrick, a senior economist at Moody's Analytics Inc., said in a recent interview with Jiji Press.

Angrick warned that this poses a huge risk to the Japanese economy.

During his presidential campaign, Trump vowed to impose blanket tariffs of 10 to 20 pct on all imported goods. Given the U.S. trade deficit, he may attack Japanese auto exports.

Still, Angrick said that such tariffs are unlikely to be realized as they could fuel inflation in the United States. Noting that Japan is the world's largest investor in the United States, he predicted that possible tariff hikes would be limited if Japanese automakers promise to expand investment and shift production to the United States.

Meanwhile, the economist expressed concern about a resumption of the tit-for-tat tariff war between the United States and China, as officials in the new U.S. administration are expected to include hardliners against China, adding that it would inevitably hit the Japanese economy.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]