Minister: Pence and Trade Issues

minister: He will hold discussions with his counterpart, trade minister Hiroshige Seko, but won't join the formal dialogue between Pence and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso, another government official said, according to The Japan Times. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had sought to deal on economic issues exclusively with Pence, who is seen as relatively friendly because of his experience with Japanese inward investment as governor of Indiana. Ross, seen as a hardliner on trade issues, is set to join Vice President Mike Pence in Tokyo on Tuesday as the nations kick off their exchange. Japan wants to keep the talks separate to ensure that the framework is set by Pence and Aso and doesn't include requests on specific trade issues, such as automobiles. Read more on how Japan planned to avoid Trump's wrath on trade Ross was outspoken about barriers to U.S. exports of autos and agricultural products during his confirmation hearing in January. The Japanese officials asked not to be identified because the matter is confidential. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.