In connection with a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington on Friday, Trump said he wants "equality" in trade between the two countries and answered yes to the question of whether tariffs are waiting if the situation does not change.
The Japanese economy, which has been struggling with growth problems for several decades, is export- and free trade-dependent.
At a joint press conference after the meeting, Trump also said that Japan will buy record-large quantities of liquefied fossil gas (LNG) from the USA.
The long-standing sour issue where Japanese Nippon Steel was denied the purchase of US Steel was also addressed.
There, Trump clarified that there will be no purchase, but he was pleased that Nippon Steel had promised to "invest heavily" in the American steel company.
Ishiba said that Japan is the foreign country that invests the most in the USA, and he now wants to reach agreements to increase this even more.
Earlier, Trump has brandished the tariff threat against, among others, China, Canada, Mexico, and the EU.
