Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi spoke by phone with French President Emmanuel Macron for about 30 minutes on the afternoon of November 5, and told him of Japan's strong concern about an EU bill that would favor European industry, she said.
Takaichi told reporters after the call that she had "conveyed our country's strong concern" about the Industrial Acceleration Act, which is under discussion in the European Union. The bill would require companies receiving public funding in decarbonization-related fields to use a certain share of European-made components.
If Japanese-made electric vehicles are excluded from that support, the effect on Japan's auto industry is seen as unavoidable. "I asked the French side to respond appropriately. We will continue to work closely together toward resolving the issue," Takaichi said.
France is a driving force behind the EU's push to keep subsidy money inside the bloc, which puts the Macron call at the center of Japan's lobbying effort rather than at its margins.
Takaichi raised the same concern about Japanese EVs being left out when she met visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on October 28.