Trade minister Seko says Japan will keep contributing to U.S. employment

Japan's trade minister Hiroshige Seko said on Friday that Japanese companies have and will continue to contribute to employment in the United States.

In a regular press conference after a cabinet meeting, he said it is important for Japan's auto industry to gain understanding of its strong efforts to contribute to the U.S. economy.

Seko was speaking after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose heavy taxes on Toyota Motor Corp <7203.T> if it builds its Corolla cars for the U.S. market at a plant in Mexico.

(Reporting by Ami Miyazaki and Kaori Kaneko; Editing by Chris Gallagher)