Trump continues Asia tour in Tokyo with Japanese prime minister meeting
Washington — President Trump is in Tokyo for the second day of his Asia tour, as he seeks to shore up trade deals during his nearly weeklong trip.
Mr. Trump is expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Tuesday morning local time, before delivering a speech aboard the USS George Washington at the Yokosuka Naval Base and attending a reception for business leaders in the evening.
Japan’s new prime minister hopes to strengthen trade relations in several critical areas. Over the summer, the two sides reached an agreement that understand the United States is imposing 15% tariffs on Japanese goods – lower than the 25% initially threatened by Mr Trump – in exchange for Japan’s commitment to invest billions in American manufacturing. It is not yet clear where these invested dollars would go.
The meeting between Mr. Trump and the Japanese prime minister will be the first – Takaichi only took office last week. Japan’s first female leader, Takaichi was close to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a friend of Mr. Trump’s until then. his assassination in 2022.
On Monday, the president met with Japanese Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
South Korea is the next and final stop on the president’s trip, which began this weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — a visit marked by U.S. trade deals with Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
On the South Korean front, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters he did not expect to finalize a trade deal with the country during the U.S. president’s visit Wednesday, but said he believed they were close. Mr. Trump and the South Korean government announcement a framework over the summer that was similar to the deal with Japan, with 15% tariffs on South Korean products and investments promised to the United States
The multi-stop trip to Asia will culminate on Thursday with a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum summit, as they seek to end ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China.
On his way to Tokyo, Mr. Trump predicted the United States and China would reach a trade deal before he returns to Washington later in the week. The two parties have had difficult relations in recent months. The president threatened to impose an additional 100% customs duty on imports from China – for a total rate of 140% – from Saturday November 1, targeting new export restrictions imposed by Beijing.
En route to Tokyo, Mr. Trump also said he I would like to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, although such a meeting is not planned.
