Trump to seek quick progress with Abe on replacement trade deal

Based on comments made during his first week as President, here are what I perceive to be the tenants of Trump's TPP replacement plan:

US increases import tariffs for Japanese goods, especially cars and electronics

Trump asks Japan to import more American cars and agricultural products

Trump asks Japan to invest more in its American based businesses / partnerships

Trump asks Japan to pay more for hosting the US military

Once Japan complies, Trump offers a discount on the aforementioned tariffs

Trump, who took office last Friday, reiterated on Thursday he would strike numerous bilateral deals, as opposed to multilateral accords like the TPP.

Divide and conquer.

He said they would include clauses to allow a 30-day termination notice if the United States was not treated fairly.

Nowhere (except Alaska) allows divorce that quick.

Fashion du jour: have your cake and eat it.

“We will thoroughly protect what we should protect…I want to carry out bilateral negotiations properly, based on the thinking that agriculture is the foundation of this country,”

WTF. WF country does Abe think this is?

Trump knows the Japanese car plants are in the USA right? ....right???

Actually a win-win for both Japan and US. That's what free trade is: two trading partners making mutually beneficial agreements. Trade-offs and concessions are a big part of business.

There will be no trouble at all with the Trump - Abe discussions, esp re any TPP replacement agreement.

Why? Because Abe has publicly declared his belief in Trump's "Trust."

So just relax all and put your dogs up.

Couldn't it be ANYONE else doing the negotiating with Trump except Mr Fail?

based on the thinking that agriculture is the foundation of this country,” a foundation that is less than 1% of the economy , but consumes 6% of the annual Japanese budget. No wonder Japans economy continues to crumble.

I have to agree with the comments about agriculture. If there's one thing in Japan that's holding back the masses from being able to afford other things than food, it's food, itself. I've never been more astounded at prices in Japan than when I buy groceries, especially fruits, vegetables and beef.

Trump needs an island off the cost of Yokohama dedicated to one of his new casinos. Make sure it's tax free too Abe, or he'll charge 20% border tax and use it to build a wall around Hawaii which is becoming very Japanese recently. Get it done Abe!

Trump knows the Japanese car plants are in the USA right? ....right???

He's been too much occupied with his twitter thing to have noticed that "Japanese manufacturers employ roughly 400,000 people in the U.S., exceeding peers from Germany and Britain and putting Japan at the top in that metric."

Or he convinces himself that if he just ignores that fact everyone else will do likewise in the realm of the alternative truth.

As much as I hate Trump and think he's going to pretty much end the world as we know it, in one way or another, he is at least getting Japan inc to panic, and I think he's going to have them by the short hairs and make them finally open up sectors the TPP still gave them too much protection on.

"As much as I hate Trump and think he's going to pretty much end the world as we know it,"

I sure hope he does, as, in case you didn't notice, smitty, the world is pretty well screwed up. He's got the leftists, globalists and Islamists worried. The three biggest dangers to secular modern western civilization. This is great.

Free trade with Trump? Is that American inside joke?

Bilateral trade with the US? Lmao, Japan will be at a disadvantage, like how all those other Asian TPP nations would have been in if the TPP was signed. Trump will basically say, "Hey Japan, American cars and agricultural products in your country, and then you can keep the safety of having our US bases there. That's it."

What agreement? It's more like "my deal or no deal" So, Abe will bow and say "Hi, Hi, Hi ..We all know it's a bully tactic by the US and Japan's tail will wag like never before.

@chris: Japan doo not export cars and electronic prods to USA.

Japan do not import cars and electronic goods from USA.

Japanese people do not eat American long grain rice on their meals.

Top ramen, cup ramen, Japanese company make inn California, not exported from Japan.

TRUMPY Voice"Were gonna build a trade deal ....its gonna be a good deal...and Japan is gonna pay for it"

Free trade with the Trump corporation? You are FIRED !