No auto tariff exemptions: US Commerce Sec

"If you're going to tariff cars from anywhere, it's got to be tariffing cars from everywhere," Lutnick said in an interview with Fox Business.

"That would be fair, right?" "Don't make it so that Japan has an unfair advantage over Korea or Germany or anywhere," Lutnick said.

He also stressed the importance of keeping auto production capabilities in his country for national security.

In addition to autos, he listed steel, aluminum, copper, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and timber as industries the US President Donald Trump's administration focuses on.

Trump has said he will announce the additional auto tariffs as soon as April 2.

The administration intends to raise the tax rate to about 25 %, 10 times the current level.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

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