U.S. President Donald Trump gestures while speaking during an executive order signing event at the White House in Washington on March 31, 2025. (Getty/Kyodo)

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) — The United States on Monday renewed pressure on Japan to increase its imports of American automobiles and other products, claiming they face many nontariff barriers.

In the 2025 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative also urged Japan to reduce obstacles to U.S. exports of farm and fishery products. For example, it reiterated its criticism of Japan’s highly regulated rice market.

The annual report, covering about 60 major U.S. trade partners, was released two days before President Donald Trump plans to impose reciprocal tariffs.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that Trump is due to announce the tariffs, targeting goods from countries around the world with matching duties, at 3 p.m. on Wednesday.

In addition to Trump’s forthcoming announcement, the United States will start imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on automobiles imports on Thursday.

“No American president in modern history has recognized the wide-ranging and harmful foreign trade barriers American exporters face more than President Trump,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement.

“Under his leadership, this administration is working diligently to address these unfair and nonreciprocal practices, helping restore fairness and put hardworking American businesses and workers first in the global market,” Greer said.

In Japan’s auto market, the USTR report claimed, “A variety of nontariff barriers impede access,” citing, for instance, safety standards and subsidies concerning clean energy vehicles.

Unlike the United States, which will raise the auto tariff from the current 2.5 percent for passenger vehicles, Japan has no duties on imported cars, trucks or buses.