WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday his proposed tariffs on imported cars will likely be "in the neighborhood of 25 percent" and those on semiconductors and pharmaceuticals will be around the same rate or higher.

Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida during a press conference, which was televised live, he will probably announce a new auto tariff rate on April 2.

Asked about tariffs on chips and pharmaceuticals, Trump said it would be "25 percent and higher, and it'll go very substantially higher over the course of a year. But we want to give them time to come in."

"Because as you know when they come into the United States and they have their plant or factory here, there is no tariff," he said. "So, we want to give them a little bit of a chance."

On Friday, Trump said he planned to roll out auto tariffs around April 2, without providing details such as which countries would be targeted.

Foreign automakers, including those of Japan, Germany and South Korea, would take a significant hit if his administration were to adopt the tariff rate.

The U.S. market is the largest export destination for Japanese automakers, accounting for about a third of total exports. In 2023, they exported about 1.44 million passenger cars to the United States, according to the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Trump has insisted that tariffs will help revive domestic manufacturing and cut U.S. trade deficits. Last week, he unveiled 25 percent levies on all steel and aluminum imports, set to take effect on March 12.

When announcing on Feb. 10 his first order for the imposition of sector-based tariffs under his second administration, Trump suggested further steps will be taken for other kinds of imports, including automobiles, chips and pharmaceuticals

Since returning to the White House for a nonconsecutive second term on Jan. 20, Trump has unleashed a wave of tariffs on imported goods in line with his campaign promises.

On Thursday, he signed a document laying out his plan to introduce reciprocal tariffs, claiming the United States has been treated unfairly by its trading partners, "both friend and foe."

Currently, Japan does not impose tariffs on imported cars, trucks or buses. The U.S. government, meanwhile, levies tariffs of 2.5 percent on passenger vehicles, 25 percent on trucks and 2 percent on buses imported from Japan.