WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The United States on Wednesday placed 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports, not just targeting countries already singled out, such as Canada, China and Mexico, a move certain to cause further trade friction with major global economies.

It is the first time the U.S. administration has put sector-based tariffs into effect since President Donald Trump took office for a nonconsecutive second term on Jan. 20, with steel and aluminum products imported to the United States from Japan and other major U.S. trading partners falling entirely under their scope.

The European Union swiftly announced a retaliatory measure against the "unjustified" move, targeting U.S. goods worth up to 26 billion euros ($28 billion).

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reacted sharply to it, saying, "The EU's punitive action completely disregards the national security imperatives of the United States."

Canada, the largest steel exporter to the United States, reportedly unveiled a counter-tariff against U.S. materials worth $21 billion.

Even though Nippon Steel Corp.'s blocked $14.1 billion bid to take over United States Steel Corp. has grabbed international headlines, Japan's U.S.-bound steel shipments represent a tiny share of its total exports.

Japan's trade minister Yoji Muto tried unsuccessfully to talk U.S. officials into excluding Japan from the latest measures, as well as any future tariffs Trump may impose.

"It's regrettable that the tariffs were imposed even though we conveyed our concern to the United States and requested an exemption at various levels," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said at a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.

High-quality steel and aluminum products imported by the United States are irreplaceable and essential for strengthening the competitiveness of the U.S. manufacturing sector, Hayashi said, adding that such shipments do not threaten U.S. national security.

"A wide range of U.S. measures aimed at restricting trade could have a large impact on bilateral economic ties, and, by extension, the global economy and multilateral trading system," Japan's top government spokesman added.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on a Fox TV program Wednesday morning, "Japan dumps steel. China dumps steel. What that means is...they overproduce and they sell it dirt cheap to try to drive our guys out of business."

In 2018, during his first presidency, Trump imposed tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, citing national security concerns.

However, several U.S. trading partners, including the EU and Japan, were granted duty-free quotas for steel imports during the previous administration under Joe Biden. Japan's quota was set at 1.25 million tons per year starting in April 2022, with any shipments exceeding that amount subject to tariffs.

In 2024, Japan did not reach the quota as it exported roughly 1.2 million tons of steel to the United States, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation.

In terms of value, the 302.6 billion yen ($2 billion) of exports to the United States was only 1.4 percent of Japan's total trade to the country, Japan Finance Ministry data showed.

Last year, the United States imported steel valued at $31.6 billion, with Canada being the largest contributor at about 23 percent of the total, followed by Mexico and Brazil, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. Japan was the sixth-largest supplier.

U.S. aluminum imports totaled $17.6 billion, with most coming from Canada.

In addition to tariffs targeting certain industrial sectors, including automobiles and semiconductors, Trump has pledged to roll out broader reciprocal duties on April 2.

Along with matching tariffs on trading partners, he has repeatedly said taxes of around 25 percent on imported cars, up from the current 2.5 percent, will be unleashed on that date.

Despite the recent turbulence in financial markets and increased U.S. consumer worries about a potential resurgence of inflation, Trump has asserted his administration is making progress on strengthening the U.S. economy and creating more jobs by imposing higher tariffs.