Japan and the United States plan to hold bilateral trade talks from April 15 to 16 in Washington, sources with knowledge of the plan said Friday, as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for what he calls fair and reciprocal trade.
The two allies will seek to determine the scope of their future negotiations, laying the groundwork for a summit, possibly on April 26, between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump.
Negotiations between economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer are expected to be tough, despite Trump's push to resolve the huge U.S. trade deficit with Japan. A national round of local elections and a House of Councilors election are scheduled in Japan from spring to summer, likely making it more difficult for the country's negotiators to compromise.