Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has expressed regret over US President Donald Trump's announcement to impose 24-percent reciprocal tariffs on imports from his country.



Ishiba told reporters on Thursday that it is extremely regrettable and disappointing that the US government made the decision to impose the tariffs despite calls from Japan at various levels not to take the unilateral measure.



The prime minister said Japan has been the world's largest investor in the US since 2019. He explained that Japanese automakers have made direct investments worth about 418 million dollars and created 2.3 million jobs in the US.



He argued that Washington's wide-ranging restrictive trade measures will have a significant impact not only on bilateral economic relations but also on the global economy and the multilateral trade system.



He went on to say he is seriously concerned about whether the tariff measure is consistent with WTO rules and the Japan-US trade agreement.



Asked whether he intends to seek talks with Trump, either over the phone or face-to-face, he said he will not hesitate to talk with Trump in person if and when it was appropriate.



The prime minister indicated the government will closely examine how domestic industries will be impacted and provide full-fledged assistance measures.



Specifically, he said the government on Thursday has set up about 1,000 consultation centers across the country to respond to the concerns of small and mid-size companies.



Ishiba said the government will dispatch government officials to areas where businesses in the auto industry are concentrated to grasp the impact of the tariffs. He added that the government will also help struggling businesses meet their funding needs.