Japan Industry Minister to Visit Paris for Talks with U.S., EU

May 29, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese trade minister Hiroshige Seko on Tuesday said he will visit Paris for four days from Wednesday to attend trade talks with the United States and the European Union.

The meeting, to be held on Thursday, will deal with the issue of excessive steel production chiefly by China. Other participants will include U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstroem.

The three parties began the trilateral trade conference last December. The upcoming meeting will be the third of its kind.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has said it will consider imposing higher tariffs on U.S. imports of automobiles and auto parts on national security grounds.

Japan and Europe, which export a lot of vehicles to the United States, are seen expressing their concerns about the tariffs at the meeting.

"Japanese automakers make significant contributions to the U.S. economy," said Seko. "I'll convey this point to U.S. officials, in cooperation with the EU."

During his visit, the minister is also scheduled to attend a ministerial council meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and an unofficial ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization. Jiji Press