Japanese car manufacturers produce significantly more cars in the USA than they export from Japan to the USA, according to Ryosei Akazawa. Roughly 3.3 million cars are manufactured per year by Japanese companies in the USA, while deliveries from Japan to the USA amount to just under 1.4 million.
The Japanese car manufacturers have also invested more than 60 billion dollars in the USA and created 2.3 million jobs in the country, according to Akazawa.
Japan's surplus in trade with the USA last year amounted to approximately 8,600 billion yen (equivalent to 560 billion kronor). About 82 percent of this surplus consisted of Japanese exports of cars and car parts.
Akazawa's statement is made ahead of a trip to the USA for a new round of talks on tariffs, which US President Donald Trump has introduced.
In addition to the 25 percent car tariffs, Trump has introduced 50 percent sectoral tariffs on steel and aluminum, as well as 10 percent tariffs on everything from Japan.
