The United States will exclude an additional 116 products from its emergency tariffs on most steel imports, including 68 Japanese products, Japanese trade officials said Monday.
The addition is equivalent to 54,000 metric tons of Japanese exports to the U.S. last year. It brings the total amount of exemptions allowed to Japanese steelmakers to about 250,000 tons.
Last week, Washington decided to exclude nine more Japanese steel products, equivalent to 20,000 tons, from the safeguard tariffs it imposed in March to help the beleaguered U.S. industry.
The series of additions is seen as making it less likely for Japan to pursue its right to slap 100 percent tariffs on certain U.S. imports in retaliation for the estimated damage caused by the U.S. steel import restrictions.