The United States indicated Friday it would make a concession in trade negotiations with Japan to allow the two countries to strike a deal at an early date, economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi said.
After a two-day ministerial meeting in Washington, Motegi told reporters that discussions on a bilateral trade agreement "made good headway" and that he and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer agreed to meet again later this month.
Lighthizer, who had been a staunch opponent of giving Japan greater access to the U.S. auto market, softened his stance to move the negotiations forward, sources familiar with the matter said.