Japan's industry minister Nishimura Yasutoshi has called on his US counterpart to offer US consumers tax breaks for electric vehicles made by Japanese automakers.

The US government on Monday disclosed a list of EVs that qualify for "clean vehicle" tax credits under a new set of rules.

The revised measure puts Japanese and many other non-US car manufacturers at a disadvantage, as models of US automakers dominate the list.

Nishimura made the request to US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who is visiting Japan, late Wednesday.
Their talks lasted about 50 minutes.

The meeting comes as Nishimura and Tai reached an agreement last month to boost cooperation on critical mineral supply chains.

The two signed a memorandum stating that EVs assembled in the United States that use materials that have been processed in Japan will also be eligible for tax breaks.

Nishimura told reporters that Japan had seized every opportunity to call on the US to review its policy so it is consistent with the bilateral strategy to strengthen supply chains, and he did just that during his talks with Tai.