Full Japan-U.S. Trade Talks Seen after Summer Election: Time

Washington, May 2 (Jiji Press)--Full-fledged trade talks between Japan and the United States are likely to be held after this summer's election for the upper chamber of Japan's parliament, U.S. magazine Time has reported. U.S. President Donald Trump did a favor to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during their meeting late last month, offering to push back the full-fledged start of the bilateral talks after the House of Councillors election, the magazine quoted U.S. officials as saying. Trump values his relationship with Abe, and his decision to ignore the advice of U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, who is the chief U.S. negotiator in the trade talks, that the two leaders should negotiate Japanese auto exports and U.S. farm products at the summit is "a reflection of that personal touch," according to Time. At the bilateral summit, the Japanese side is believed to have told Washington that Tokyo wants to minimize the impact of market-opening talks for farm products and automobiles on the upcoming Upper House election, informed sources said. Japan and the United States kicked off the trade talks in April. While bilateral working-level discussions on tariff cuts and elimination for individual products are expected to begin later this month, a final accord is highly likely to be delayed until after the Japanese election, the sources said. Meanwhile, Trump "has not go of his threat" to impose an additional 25 pct tariffs on Japanese automobiles unless Japan opens its markets further to U.S. beef and other agricultural products, the magazine said. Trump faces the May 18 deadline for deciding on the additional tariffs on vehicles from Japan and other countries for national security reasons. But he could delay the decision "by as much as 180 days," according to the magazine. END