U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross urged Japanese automakers Monday to reduce exports from Japan and Mexico while boosting production in the United States in order to slash the huge trade deficit.
"Automobiles are very important to U.S. trade deficits," he said at an event on U.S.-Japan economic relations. "Changing rules in automotives are important to reducing our trade deficits."
While noting that Japan is a major trading partner of the U.S., he said the partnership has resulted in a "very large" deficit and that Washington "would like to see more balance in that relationship."