'It is difficult': Japan responds to Trump's call that G7, NATO impose tariffs on India, China over Russian oil

Japan’s Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato on Tuesday said it would be "difficult" to impose tariffs on China and India over their continued imports of Russian oil, following Washington’s proposal for higher tariffs on countries buying oil from Moscow.

Speaking at a news conference, Kato said Tokyo would “fully consider what steps would be most effective” in applying pressure on Russia to end its war in Ukraine, according to Kyodo News Agency.

"It is difficult to impose higher tariffs on certain countries solely for purchasing Russian oil," Kato said.

His remarks came days after Washington urged Group of Seven (G7) members to impose higher tariffs on countries buying Russian oil.

During an online meeting of G7 finance chiefs last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urged his counterparts to join Washington in imposing tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil, according to media reports.

The G7 includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the US, and the European Union.

On Saturday, President Donald Trump wrote a letter addressed to NATO countries and the world and said he is “ready to do major sanctions on Russia when all NATO nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO nations stop buying oil from Russia.”

Trump had earlier threatened secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian oil if there was no progress made to end the war in Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2022. Trump has already imposed an additional 25% tariff on Indian goods, citing its continued imports of Russian oil.

The G7 and EU previously imposed a price cap on Russian oil exports and severed most energy ties with Moscow following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In response, Russia pivoted its oil exports to China, India, and other non-Western markets.

The 27-member bloc has pledged to phase out all Russian fossil fuel imports by 2028.

Separately, Trump's reduced 15% tariff on Japanese automobiles took effect Tuesday, offering partial relief to the country’s auto industry. In 2024, Japan exported around $41 billion worth of vehicles to the US.

The cut follows a July trade deal under which Tokyo pledged $550 billion in investments in the US and increased imports of American agricultural products.