By Kentaro Sugiyama and Makiko Yamazaki
TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday said the government has compiled an emergency economic package to alleviate any impact on industries and households from the United States’ new import tariffs.
The package includes support for corporate financing as well as subsidies to lower gasoline prices by 10 yen ($0.07) a litre and partially cover electricity bills for three months from July, a government document showed.
To help small and mid-sized companies more vulnerable to economic swings, a larger scope of firms will be eligible for low-interest loans extended by government-backed banks.
“I have instructed cabinet members to make the utmost efforts to aid firms and households that have been worried about tariff impact,” Ishiba said at a tariff task force meeting.
Tariffs could have a significant impact on industries that support the economy such as automobiles and steel, he said.
The government will consider additional measures to boost domestic consumption depending on the impact of U.S. tariffs on Japan’s massive automotive industry.
Friday’s package could be financed by a reserve fund, eliminating the need to compile an extra budget, said economy minister Ryosei Akazawa.
U.S. President Donald Trump on April 2 introduced a 25% tariff on car and truck imports. He also announced a 24% tariff on all Japanese goods, later cutting that to 10% for 90 days.
Akazawa, who serves as Japan’s top trade negotiator, will visit Washington next week for a second round of trade talks.
The Nikkei business daily reported on Thursday that Japan is considering increasing soybean imports from the U.S. as part of negotiations.
($1 = 142.8400 yen)
(Reporting by Kentaro Sugiyama and Makiko Yamazaki; Additional reporting by Yoshifumi Takemoto; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Christopher Cushing)
