President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed Wednesday to begin direct trade negotiations, in a move that could reshape two of the world’s largest auto industries and offer American farmers better access to Japanese consumers.
Japan had resisted bilateral talks with the United States for nearly two years, preferring that its closest ally return to the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that Trump quit in one of his first acts as president.
Wednesday’s decision followed Trump’s announcement this summer that he was considering imposing tariffs on imported automobiles, including from Japan.