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Trump to Japan: ‘Try Building Your Cars in the U.S.’

The president starts his Asia tour with a public jab over trade.

President Donald Trump on Monday kicked off his 12-day tour of Asia by taking a public swipe at Japan over trade. “Try building your cars in the United States instead of shipping them over,” he said during a briefing with Japanese business executives, according to Politico. “That’s not rude?” he then asked. Japanese automakers already produce millions of cars and parts in the U.S., with a record-high nearly 4 million vehicles made on U.S. soil last year, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association. Trump later said he was making “tremendous progress” in talks with Japanese leaders. After a working lunch with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Trump said the two discussed trade and North Korea, though progress was made “on trade in particular.”