The U.S. fails to give Japan's Trade Minister a tariff exemption guarantee.

Japan's Trade Minister said on Monday that he had asked the United States to not impose tariffs on Japan, but he did not receive any assurances of Japan being exempted, including from a 25% duty on steel and aluminum set to begin on Wednesday.

After meeting with U.S. Trade Rep Jamieson Greer and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick in Washington D.C., Yoji Muto stated that "we agreed to continue to have close consultations with U.S. Government and to hold discussion at the working levels as soon as we can."

Muto, along with other Japanese senior officials, are attempting to convince President Donald Trump that Japan is a close partner who has invested heavily in U.S. economics and created millions jobs.

According to the executive order signed by Donald Trump last month, the new 25% tariff rate on steel and aluminum imports into the United States is set to take effect on 12 March.

Muto also said that in his talks with U.S. counterparts they discussed Japan purchasing more U.S. LNG, a gas

pipeline project

(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Writing by Kantaro Komiya Editing and proofreading done Chang-Ran Kim, Gerard Doyle) (Reporting and writing by Tim Kelly, Kantaro Kommiya; Editing by Chang Ran Kim and Gerry Doyle).

(source: Reuters)