Japan's Lower House Passes U.S. Trade Deal....>

JAPAN: Japan's Lower House Passes U.S. Trade Deal Sought by Trump (BBG)

- Japan's powerful lower house of parliament approved Tuesday a trade pact with

the U.S. that opens the country's markets to American beef and other

agricultural products, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to stave off new

tariffs on carmakers. With the U.S. pressing for the agreement to come into

force Jan. 1, the measure now heads to the less powerful upper house, where it's

expected to win passage before the current session ends on Dec. 9, thanks to

Abe's coalition majority. The threat of punitive tariffs on the exports of cars

and car parts, a $50 billion-a-year sector that is a cornerstone of the Japanese

economy, pushed Abe to accept bilateral trade talks with the U.S. after he

failed to persuade President Donald Trump to return to a Pacific regional pact

he had rejected.