Ishiba Vows to Help Japanese Companies with U.S. Tariffs

   Tokyo, April 1 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said at a press conference Tuesday that his government plans to provide financing and procurement support to domestic companies in response to additional U.S. tariffs on automobiles.
   The prime minister said that if the United States implements the additional tariffs, the government will set up about 1,000 special consultation windows across Japan to address the concerns and worries of small businesses in detail.
   Ishiba also explained that the government will advance measures to cope with rising prices of rice, gasoline and other goods, while taking all possible policy measures to help small businesses raise wages.
   The press conference was held a day after the Diet enacted the fiscal 2025 budget bill on Monday. The prime minister touted the passage of the budget for the year starting Tuesday as "the result of serious Diet deliberations."
   Ishiba expressed his intention to draw up effective measures by May to raise the country's minimum wages and compile a plan the same month to promote labor-saving investments to improve productivity at small service providers.

(2025/04/01-13:00)

To read a full story, please click here to find out how to subscribe.