Trump Criticizes Japan for Not Buying U.S. Rice Amid Shortage, Threatens Tariffs

Former President Donald Trump criticized Japan for not purchasing U.S.-grown rice despite facing a domestic shortage and warned of possible new tariffs on Japanese exports.

"Japan isn’t buying our rice, even though they’re facing a severe rice shortage," Trump wrote on Truth Social on June 30. "In other words, we’ll be sending them a letter—but we still greatly value them as a long-term trading partner."

Trump framed Japan’s reluctance to import U.S. rice as yet another example of how other countries have become too accustomed to favorable trade terms with the United States.

Last week, Trump said the U.S. plans to send formal notices to several countries regarding potential tariff hikes before July 9—a deadline he previously set after temporarily delaying retaliatory tariffs in April. In a June 29 interview with Fox News, Trump mentioned Japan could be one of the recipients. “Dear 'Mr. Japan,' here’s the deal: You’re going to face a 25% tariff on your cars,” he said.

In response, Japan’s Economy Chief Ryosei Akazawa pushed back, stating Tokyo will not compromise its agricultural sector in trade talks with Washington.
“Agriculture is the backbone of Japan,” Akazawa said at a press briefing. “Our position remains unchanged—we will not engage in negotiations that could harm our farmers.”

While Akazawa confirmed Japan will continue broader trade talks with the U.S., he did not indicate whether Japan would consider increasing rice imports from American producers.

In reality, trade data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows Japan imported $298 million worth of American rice in 2024. During the first four months of 2025 alone, that figure reached $114 million—one of the highest totals on record.

Japan is currently facing a rice crisis. Years of government-backed efforts to indirectly limit rice production through agricultural cooperatives have led to supply shortages. Soaring demand since last year has driven prices up dramatically—from 2,000 yen (about $14) for a 5-kg bag in 2024 to more than 4,000 yen (nearly $28) today.

(Sources: CNN, NHK, Reuters)

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