translated from Spanish: Trump: Japan and the US have made great progress toward trade agreement

Tokyo.-US president Donald Trump said today that his country and Japan have made a “great progress” in their negotiations to reach a new trade agreement, but not expected to remain all the points closed during his current official visit to Tokyo. Washing Ton and Tokyo have been negotiating a new trade agreement for weeks, amid criticisms of Trump for the “substantial advantages” Japan has had against the United States. There have been rounds in Washington and also in Tokyo. The last meeting, this Saturday, ended without completing all the points, although Japan’s Minister of Economic revitalization, Toshimitsu Motegi, said he had had a “frank discussion” with the delegation led by the U.S. trade negotiator, Robert Lighthizer.” Great progress has been made in the trade negotiations with Japan, “said Trump today in his Twitter account, in a message placed after sharing a round of golf with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a day after arriving in Tokyo for official visit. According to the American ruler, there are many issues at stake in areas such as agriculture and livestock. ” Much of it will have to wait until its July elections, “Trump said, referring to the partial elections of the upper house of Japan that will be next July. In these negotiations, the United States is seeking greater access to the Japanese market in products such as beef and pork and wheat. Japan is expanding its markets in these sectors with products from Australia or New Zealand thanks to the Trans-Pacific agreement known as the TPP, from which Donald Trump’s administration decided to withdraw. The Tokyo government, for its part, is calling for lower US tariffs on Japanese industrial products, including vehicles, one of its major exports.

In a meeting with businessmen who held last night at the US embassy in Tokyo shortly after arriving in this capital, Trump reiterated that Japan has had a “substantial advantage (over AMERICA) for many, many years.”

“But it’s okay. Maybe that’s why he likes you so much. Still, we’ll have to be a little more fair, and I think we will, “he added to a select group of Japanese businessmen. With the new agreement being negotiated, “I hope you will take into account the trade imbalance, remove the barriers to American exports and ensure equity and reciprocity in our relationship,” added Trump. Efe



Original source in Spanish