### POV: U.S.-JAPAN TRADE ISSUES BACK ON......>

JAPAN: ### POV: U.S.-JAPAN TRADE ISSUES BACK ON THE RADAR (RE-POST)

- On May 26 U.S. President Trump tweeted "Great progress being made in our Trade

Negotiations with Japan. Agriculture and beef heavily in play. Much will wait

until after their July elections where I anticipate big numbers!" Trump also

said that he may announce "something" on a U.S.-Japan trade agreement in August,

well within the six-month deadline he laid out earlier in May.

- Trump & Japanese PM Abe are close friends, and Trump wouldn't have wanted to

place undue pressure on Abe ahead of the upper-house elections. Now that the

elections are over & with Abe claiming a majority (albeit short of the

super-majority required to reshape the pacifist sections of the constitution) we

should look for greater scrutiny of the U.S.-Japan trade situation from Trump.

- The U.S.-Japan trade deficit is the U.S.' fourth largest with a nation/region

- There is a chance that one of, or a combination of; Trump's close relationship

with Abe, the potential for a long drawn out U.S.-China trade spat, Japan-South

Korea tensions or Trump choosing to escalate the situation with the EU divert

his attention elsewhere/prevent him from escalating the situation with Japan.