President Donald Trump on Friday threatened tariffs on Japanese goods if the US trade deficit with Tokyo is not equalized, as he met Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in Washington. Ishiba, who is only the second foreign leader to visit the White House since Trump returned to power, heaped praise on the US president as he tried to build a bond with the mercurial Trump. As they met in the Oval Office, Ishiba hailed Trump’s “undaunted presence, that you stood up and you raised your fist high in the sky” after the Republican survived an assassination attempt last year. The Japanese premier — whose country is a key US ally against a rising China and a nuclear-armed North Korea — said his country was the biggest investor in the United States and would step up its spendings

However, Trump insisted on “equality” in the two countries’ trade balances, and responded “yes” when asked if tariffs could be imposed if no progress was made. Trump also stated that the two would discuss the contentious topic of Nippon Steel’s stalled acquisition bid of US Steel. The president had supported his predecessor Joe Biden’s decision to cancel the contract, but US media indicated that he may reconsider. Ishiba, an acknowledged “geek” and model battleship aficionado, is unlikely to emulate Trump’s tight friendship with former prime minister and golf pal Shinzo Abe during the US president’s first term. But Trump claimed that Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, held “tremendous respect” for Ishiba

The goal for Ishiba will be to shield Japan from the tariffs that Trump has placed on China, then suspended on Mexico and Canada, and vowed to levy on the European Union. “It would be wonderful if we could affirm that we will work together for the development of this region, the world, and peace,” Ishiba told reporters in Tokyo prior to the trip. The soft-spoken, cigarette-smoking Ishiba hopes Japanese investment in the United States would resonate with Trump’s “America First” ideals. According to Japan’s Nikkei newspaper, the leaders are set to release a joint statement committing to create a “golden age” of bilateral relations, repeating the motto from the US president’s inaugural

According to the Nikkei, Ishiba plans to inform Trump that Japan will expand its defense procurement from the United States. Japan is one of Washington’s closest friends in Asia, with over 54,000 US military personnel stationed there. Under Abe, Japan was insulated from some of Trump’s harsher policies, such as abrupt trade conflicts and demands to raise financial contributions to host US troops. Days after Trump’s first election win, Abe raced to present him a gold-plated golf club. Trump also hosted Abe’s widow Akie for dinner at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, in December. A Japanese foreign ministry official stated in Tokyo that “we hope the leaders will be able to build a relationship of personal trust.” Read More: