Trump pushes hard for a trade deal with Japan in state visit
Talks ranged from North Korea missile tests, Iran and the trade war with China, but the focus was emphatically on getting the trade balance right with the ‘brilliant’ Japanese
Tokyo — US President Donald Trump pressed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday to even out a trade imbalance with the US and said he was happy with how things were going with North Korea despite its recent missile and rocket launches. Trump told a news conference with Abe after their summit that he wanted US exports to be put on a fair footing in Japan through the removal of trade barriers. He said he hoped to have more to announce on trade very soon and said he and Abe had agreed to expand co-operation in human space exploration. “We have an unbelievably large imbalance, as you know, trade imbalance with Japan for many, many years, Japan having the big advantage,” Trump said. “They are brilliant business people, brilliant negotiators, and put us in a very tough spot. But I think we will have a deal with Japan,” he added. Abe, for his part, said the two leaders had agreed to accelerate trade talks but dodged a question about timing. Trump, who is on a four-day state visit to...
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