TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Friday that Donald Trump`s views on tariffs were `difficult to understand` after the US president announced 25 per cent levies on imported cars and parts.

Just weeks after Ishiba and Trump held apparently friendly talks, the duties came as a major blow to Japan, one of Washington`s closest economic and strategic allies.

Japanese autosharessank for the second day on Friday.

`What President Trump is saying is that there are both friends and foes and friends can be more difficult. This is very difficult to understand,` Ishiba said during a legislative committee session.

Announcing the new vehicle tariffs _ pencilled in for next week _ Trump said in the White House that America`s trade partners had been `taking our jobs, taking our wealth, taking a lot of things`.`They`ve taken so much out of our country, friend and foe alike. And frankly, friend has oftentimes been much worse than foe,` he added.

The measures have caused consternation among US allies.

Canada angrily reacted to Trump`s tariff, which could devastate the nation`s auto industry, with Prime Minister Mark Carney declaring the era of deep bilateral relations was `over`.

For Japan, Ishiba warned: `The impact this will have on the Japanese economywillbeextremely significant. There is nothing to be gained by getting into a big fight over it. We will explain logically (to Washington).

`The point is to make them understand imposing such high tariffs on Japan will not bring a special benefit to the United States.

Onein10 Japanesejobs are tied to the automotive industry.-AFP