Planned Trump-Abe talks likely to focus on thorny motor trade issues

Tokyo

SATURDAY'S agreement between Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, and US President, Donald Trump, to hold talks in Washington on Feb 10 could take the two countries back to the friction-filled 1980s-style negotiations on car trade before they begin discussing any wider bilateral trade agreement.

In the wake of Mr Trump's dramatic withdrawal of the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the two leaders are expected to discuss the possibility of a bilateral accord and Mr Abe has said that cars "are on the agenda every time between Japan and the US".