Trump expected to push for trade deal with Japan

The Trump administration will seek a bilateral replacement accord with Japan after the White House nixed a sweeping Asia-Pacific agreement earlier this week.

President Trump is expected to jump-start talks toward a deal with the world’s third-largest economy when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the White House next month, according to Reuters.

{mosads}Trump withdrew the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) earlier this week as part of fulfilling one of his campaign promises to nix the agreement and craft better agreements for U.S. workers.

“I see Abe’s visit being more about finding a follow-through, a replacement for TPP,” a Trump administration official told Reuters.

“Given the domestic political capital [Abe has] expended on TPP, there’s going to be an effort to work with him on a follow-on,” according to the official.

The new White House has said it prefers bilateral trade agreements instead of deals with multiple countries, like the TPP.

On Thursday, Trump told congressional Republicans that new trade deals will be one-on-one with each country and “will not be a whole big mashed pot.”

Former President Obama had hoped to push the TPP through Congress before the end of his term, but the pact stalled after Trump’s election.