ISTANBUL 

Japan’s prime minister on Friday rejected US President Donald Trump’s claim that Japan refuses to import American rice, saying Tokyo is indeed buying rice from California and calling for Washington to acknowledge this.

Speaking at an event in Fukushima, Shigeru Ishiba said Japan has been “importing rice from California” and insisted: “We must make sure that this point is clearly understood.”

The comments come as Japan faces growing trade pressure from the US, with Trump recently threatening new tariffs and accusing Tokyo of unfair practices.

“They won’t take our RICE, and yet they have a massive rice shortage,” Trump posted on social media.

Ishiba emphasized that Japan will not sacrifice its agricultural sector in negotiations.

"As an independent nation, we cannot allow rice cultivation to decline due to increased imports," he added.

Japan is currently facing a rice shortage while engaging in trade negotiations with Washington. The US has already imposed 25% tariffs on Japanese automobile exports, complicating bilateral talks.

Ishiba was unable to reach an agreement with Trump at their mid-June summit, but he has consistently emphasized that Japan is in no rush.