icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
27 Sep, 2018 08:23

US, Japan to open talks on bilateral free trade agreement

The United States and Japan announced on Wednesday that they will open negotiations on a bilateral trade agreement. This is a significant shift by Tokyo which has been a strong advocate of a multi-nation trans-Pacific trade pact that President Donald Trump withdrew from soon after taking office. The move won Japan relief from the immediate threat of punitive tariffs on its auto exports to the US, AP said. Trump made the announcement after meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. He said that Japan had been unwilling in the past to enter into such talks, but had since reconsidered. He said such a deal “will be something very exciting.”