Internet reported that Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Thursday that U.S. President Trump's views on some tariff-related issues may be based on misunderstandings or misinformation. The U.S. moratorium on imposing a 24% equivalent tariff on Japanese imports will expire next week. "We heard President Trump say that without American cars running in Japan, we will not import (American) rice. This may be based on misunderstanding or misinformation,"Shigeru Ishiba said. In fact, Japan has imported record amounts of U.S. rice in recent months as domestic rice prices have soared since last year, hurting consumers. However, Shigeru Ishiba said tariff negotiations with the United States are making steady progress, but he did not disclose specific details.