President Donald Trump will gather with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Tuesday at his residence in Mar-a-lago, Florida to discuss the upcoming U.S. summit with North Korea, trade, and TPP.
I am in Florida and looking forward to my meeting with Prime Minister Abe of Japan. Working on Trade and Military Security.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2018
National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow told Fox and Friends Tuesday that Abe will discuss with Trump an exemption from the President’s proposed tariffs on steel. Trump will also discuss with the Japanese prime minister the upcoming U.S.-North Korea summit.
Trump has long favored an adversarial relationship trade relationship with Japan, saying Friday:
Would only join TPP if the deal were substantially better than the deal offered to Pres. Obama. We already have BILATERAL deals with six of the eleven nations in TPP, and are working to make a deal with the biggest of those nations, Japan, who has hit us hard on trade for years!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2018
Abe and Trump have long had a close relationship however including a meeting just days after the President was elected to office:
https://t.co/uRN9ytD9BU
Mafioso pic.twitter.com/BuU7qdCsaT— Starseed (@Starseed52) November 21, 2016