TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yoji Muto is arranging a visit to the United States to ask the U.S. government to exempt Japanese products from higher tariffs threatened by President Donald Trump, a government source said Thursday.

The Trump administration has said it will impose 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports from March 12, and Muto is looking to make a trip to the United States before that, the source said.

The U.S. leader also said Tuesday that he plans to impose tariffs of around 25 percent on imported automobiles, semiconductors and pharmaceuticals. The U.S. market is the largest export destination for Japanese automakers.

Muto is expected to hold talks with U.S. administration officials including Howard Lutnick, a financial services firm CEO who was confirmed Tuesday by the U.S. Senate to serve as the secretary of commerce.

Since Japan exports high-quality steel and aluminum which cannot be procured within the United States, Muto is expected to attempt to convince his counterparts that tariff exemptions for those products will benefit the United States, according to the source.

He will also likely underscore that Japanese carmakers such as Toyota Motor Corp. have created jobs through increased investment in their U.S. operations.

Trump, who was sworn in for the second time as U.S. president on Jan. 20, has focused on tariffs to revive domestic manufacturing and reduce U.S. trade deficits.