Ministers cautiously welcome Trump’s study on TPP return

April 13, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese cabinet ministers on Friday cautiously praised US President Donald Trump's intention to study his country's possible comeback to the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact.

"We would be ready to welcome the move if it means Trump's recognition of the significance and effects of the TPP," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press conference.

Economic revitalization minister Toshimitsu Motegi, who is in charge of the TPP, made a similar comment at a separate press conference.

Still, he said that it is "extremely difficult to renegotiate" only part of the TPP, showing caution about Trump's stance of considering returning to the pact only if it benefits the United States.

The United States withdrew from the original 12-member TPP early last year. Following the US pullout, Japan and 10 other countries signed the so-called TPP 11 last month.

At Thursday's meeting of lawmakers of the Republican Party, Trump instructed senior administration officials to consider the United States' return to the multilateral pact.

On Twitter, Trump commented that the United States "would only join the TPP if the deal were substantially better than the deal" agreed on during the tenure of his predecessor, Barack Obama.

Noting that the country has bilateral trade deals with six of the current 11 members of the TPP, Trump said the United States is "working to make a deal with the biggest of those nations, Japan, who has hit us hard on trade for years."

On Friday, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said, "First, I want to listen to what the United States is thinking."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump may exchange opinions on TPP issues at their planned meeting in the United States next week.

Motegi said he wants Abe to confirm US trade policy at the bilateral summit.

Welcoming the US move to consider coming back to the TPP, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso said he expects that the prime minister will talk about TPP issues with Trump at the coming meeting. Jiji Press