Dear Mr Japan? Trump’s tariff letter opener sparks mockery and memes on social media

US President Donald Trump is once again the center of a social media storm, this time because he made a mistake about Japan. Trump sparked a meme storm after referring to Japan's prime minister as “Mr. Japan” during an interview about trade tariffs. Critics and comedians didn't miss a beat.

The comment quickly became meme fodder online, drawing snark, satire, and eye-rolling from social media users everywhere.

Why did Donald Trump mention tariffs on Japanese cars?

As negotiations between the two countries continued, President Donald Trump suggested maintaining 25% tariffs on Japanese automobiles. If a trade agreement is not reached, a series of higher duties will take effect in less than a week.


As his tariff pause expires early next month, Trump told Fox News host Maria Bartiromo he would be sending out letters, citing Japan as an example. When describing the letter, Trump seemed to improvise rather than naming Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, whom he met at the White House in February, as per a report by the HuffPost.

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“Dear Mr. Japan: Here’s the story,” Trump said during a Fox News interview that aired Sunday. “You’re going to pay a 25% tariff on your cars.”

His threat of a 25% tariff drew criticism, since most Japanese cars sold in the U.S. are made there.

The fact that the US imports "millions and millions" of Japanese automobiles while Japan imports relatively few from American automakers, he claimed, is "unfair." “They won’t take our cars,” Trump said, adding that Japan could make up the difference by buying other American goods, like oil.

“Now, we have oil. They could take a lot of oil. They could take a lot of other things,” in reference to ways Japan could lower the US trade deficit, he said.

President Trump has stated in the past that his tariffs are an attempt to encourage businesses, including foreign ones, to boost their output in the US.

He stated in January that his message to all businesses worldwide is straightforward: Come manufacture your product in America, and we will offer you some of the lowest taxes in the world.

However, the threat of new tariffs is unlikely to affect Japanese automobiles sold in the United States because the great majority of them are already produced there.

How did people react online?

His fictitious letter to Japanese leaders, which began, "Dear Mr. Japan," was what enraged people on X:

One user tweeted, “Dear Mr Japan? Trump doesn’t know what or who he is talking about.”
Other user stated on X, “For the millionth time:
(1) "We" don't give Japan cars - private companies make and endeavor to sell them. And private Japanese individuals, not "Japan," have been decling to buy them.

(2) Japan pays US tariffs with the money given by American citizens when they buy those cars.”

FAQs

Did Donald Trump actually say "Mr. Japan"?
Yes, while discussing car tariffs, he appeared to forget Japan's Prime Minister's name, saying, "Dear Mr. Japan."

Will Donald Trump's proposed tariffs affect Japanese cars?
Not much, most Japanese cars sold in the United States are already manufactured here, so the tariff threat may have a limited impact.