Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is making final preparations to announce Japan's entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations after holding talks later Friday with U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, government sources said.
The move reflects the government's view that it will be able to persuade the United States to accept Japan's request to exempt from tariff elimination certain politically sensitive items, such as rice and beef, under the terms of the eventual TPP framework, the sources said Thursday.
Abe is expected to make a final decision after confirming Obama's stance during their summit and consulting senior lawmakers of his Liberal Democratic Party-New Komeito ruling coalition.