U.S. President Donald Trump gave Japanese automakers some relief by cutting his high U.S. tariffs on their vehicles, but the reduced levies still mean big pain for Japan's smaller car companies, which will stay under pressure in the crucial market.
After months of diplomacy, Trump signed an order on Thursday cutting U.S. tariffs on imported Japanese autos to 15% from 27.5%, a rare bit of good news for Japan's critical industry, which relies on the United States as its top market.
Smaller automakers Mitsubishi Motors, Mazda and Subaru are less able to absorb the tariff shock than bigger rivals Toyota and Honda.
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