Trump Tariffs on Mexico, China Feared to Affect Japanese Firms

Tokyo, Nov. 27 (Jiji Press)--U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to raise tariffs on products from Mexico, China and other countries is feared to affect Japanese firms with plants in those countries.

Some Japanese manufacturers have begun to consider shifting production and shipments to countries that are expected to be relatively unaffected by Trump’s tariffs.

The tariffs could have a broad impact on a wide range of industries, with many companies likely to be forced to respond.

Trump posted on social media Monday that he intends to impose a 25 pct import tariff on Mexico and an additional tariff of 10 pct on China after he takes office in January.

“If this really happens, the impact on Japanese companies could be enormous,” Masakazu Tokura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren, told a press conference Tuesday. “We will closely monitor it.”

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]