Trump will meet with Japan PM Ishiba today. What to watch for

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is in Washington today to meet with US President Trump.

The countries had good relations under Trump 1.0 as Abe forged a strong relationship. This time around ,there is no strong indication that Japan is under consideration for special tariffs but there is some tension on a few fronts.

Biden blocked a sale of US Steel to Nippon Steel on national security concerns that have previously only been used for countries like China and Saudi Arabia. Trump had also pledged to block the sale.

Various reports say military cooperation will be a topic of discussions, as both countries look to box out China. Technology and energy are also on the agenda.

The meeting is at 11:30 am ET with a news conference scheduled for 1:10 pm ET and no big announcement are expected.

Politico writes: “I’m told that Trump may bring up deals that Japan made with the Biden administration that he is interested in, if not renegotiating, then at least kicking the tires to make sure they are in line with his priorities.”

It’s also notable that the same Politico report says Republicans are considering cuts to Medicaid to pay for tax cuts.

This article was written by Adam Button at www.forexlive.com.