May 19 (NHK) - The Japanese government has notified the World Trade Organization that it is prepared to take countermeasures against US tariffs on steel and aluminum.
The government announced that it is ready to implement rebalancing measures worth about 440 million dollars. The tariffs that the US is imposing on Japan come to about that much.
The notification is a procedure required under international trade rules, if Japan actually takes the reciprocal step against the US in the future. Specific items have not yet been mentioned.
Japan's response differs from that of China and the European Union. The Japanese government previously said that retaliatory actions against the US would not be in the interest of any country.
China has already imposed tariffs on US imports.
The European Union has presented a list of items that it may impose tariffs on.
The Japanese government is believed to be trying to urge the United States to exempt Japan from the tariffs by demonstrating that countermeasures are possible.
