The U.S. and Japan inked the first stage of what President Trump described as a “phenomenal new trade agreement,” after months of negotiations, rounds of golf and high ceremony in Tokyo.
Mr. Trump said under the deal, Japan will buy up $7 billion in U.S. farm products and lower its tariffs on American beef, pork, wheat, cheese, wine and other products.
“This is a huge victory for America’s farmers, ranchers and growers, and that’s very important to me,” Mr. Trump said on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Mr. Trump and Mr. Abe are close friends and golfing buddies. They’ve worked on a trade pact throughout the year, with Mr. Trump agreeing to delay tough decisions until after Japanese elections this past summer.
Seated next to Mr. Abe on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said he’d like to see other countries follow Japan’s lead and strike deals that benefit both sides, noting the U.S. is Japan’s most prominent foreign investor.
“We want reciprocal agreements from now on,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Abe agreed.
“We will be able to bring benefit to everyone in Japan as well as in the United States,” he said. “Namely consumers, producers as well as workers. So the outcome of this negotiation is actually a win-win solution for Japan and the United States.”
Reporters attempted to ask Mr. Trump about his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, amid headline reports about Mr. Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president in late July, and Mr. Giuliani’s role in investigating former Vice President Joseph R. Biden overseas.
Reporters were shooed out the door.
Moments later, Mr. Trump said the trade deal won’t get enough attention amid the fervor over Ukraine.
“They won’t report it today. It gets lost with other fake news,” he said in a bilateral meeting with Mr. Abe. “But it’s still big.”
Mr. Trump said he has another trade deal waiting in the wings — a rewrite of the North American trade deal — but he fears it won’t get a House vote.
“The Democrats are all fighting with themselves,” he said. “It’s possible they won’t vote.”
He said the GOP will retake the House next year, “and we’ll make it even better.”
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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