Sankei carried a prominent inside-page article on Trade Minister Seko’s press remarks on Tuesday, in which he commented on the Commerce Department’s recent recommendation to President Trump to limit foreign steel imports, including Japanese products. The minister said: “I don’t think that imports from Japan, which is a U.S. ally, affect U.S. national security.” The daily said the GOJ and the domestic steel industry are bracing for the possibility of President Trump heeding the Commerce Department’s advice and are concerned that this would disrupt free trade by prompting targeted countries such as China to take retaliatory measures. The GOJ is particularly alarmed by the fact that the Commerce Department cited national security concerns as a reason for the proposed import restrictions.