I remember watching the movie Thirteen Days. It is based on the events of the Cuban Missile crisis of 1962. It is a great movie. If you have never seen it, I highly recommend it. Now, I do have a point here. During some of the most intense dramatic moments of the movie, a question is asked. In fact, it is asked a few times during the movie, but it carries a lot of weight. The question was, ?Does this represent the word of the highest authority?? Basically, it coincides with the idiom, ?go straight to the top?. Well, this is what is happening during our trade negotiations with Japan.
President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met to have discussions on the rapidly moving bilateral trade agreement. Obviously, details are going to be hammered out by the trade delegations, including U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer. However, having the two leaders meet about the deal is a good sign. It shows both countries are committed to the agreement. American Farm Bureau?s Trade Chief Dave Salmonsen says if this is going to be a smooth deal, they cannot change any laws to make the deal work.
Salmonsen says with Japan?s generous offer to match the deals offered in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), this is good news for agriculture.
Japan is asking the U.S. to remove President Trump?s metal tariffs. They also want to avoid any increases in automotive tariffs.
A bilateral trade deal would give U.S. agriculture a level playing field with its competitors in Japan.
