Abe set to ink EU-Japan trade deal amid fears of US protectionism
Both sides are keen to show they remain committed to removing barriers which they say hamper growth
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Brussels
THE European Union (EU) and Japan expect to commit to signing a free trade deal on Thursday, the EU said, in what both see as a pushback against a feared US turn towards protectionism under President Donald Trump.
Confirming on Tuesday that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe would meet heads of EU institutions in Brussels on the eve of a G20 summit with Mr Trump and other world leaders in Germany, the European Council said: "Leaders are expected to announce a political agreement on the EU-Japan free trade agreement."
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