As U.S. President Donald Trump dealt a fresh blow to China, with plans to slap tariffs on $60 billion in trade, he also quietly delivered a slap in the face to close ally Japan, which got no exemption from earlier announced duties on steel and aluminum.
Washington's move to exclude most of its allies but not Japan from the tariffs that took effect Friday is an apparent snub to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who has assiduously courted Trump since he was elected.
U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer also ratcheted up pressure to negotiate a bilateral trade pact with Tokyo, which has been in sporadic talks with Washington on cutting Japan's trade surplus.
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