What is Trump's 'bowling ball test'? The non-existent Japanese check he says rejects US cars

United States president Donald Trump on Easter Sunday listed on social media eight examples of what he called " non-tariff cheating ". Among them was the familiar Japanese “bowling ball test,” which he claims is used to reject American-made cars.


Also read: ‘Non-tariff cheating’: Donald Trump warns trade partners with 8 points list in Sunday Easter post

What is the "bowling ball test" ?

The unusual claim first came up in 2018. “It’s the bowling ball test,” Trump said at that time. “They take a bowling ball from 20 feet in the air and drop it on the hood. If it dents, the car doesn’t qualify. It's horrible,” he said, writes MSNBC.

At the time, White House officials dismissed it as a joke. However, reports later revealed that Trump had repeatedly mentioned the test in private meetings.

The origin remains unclear, but one theory links it to a Nissan advertisement that showed bowling balls hitting a car’s surface.

Though Japan has used regulatory barriers in the past, there is no evidence of a real “bowling ball test.”

Japan may ease auto rules

The recent post comes as Japan considers relaxing import safety rules to ease ongoing trade friction. According to Nikkei Asia, Tokyo may soften crash test requirements as a way to reduce trade tensions with Washington.

Differences in safety standards between the two countries have long created trade friction. As part of the now-defunct Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), Japan had agreed to lower some import restrictions. Trump withdrew from the deal in 2017, shortly after taking office.