You could tariff the heck out Japanese exports including cars and I'll still pay whatever they are charging for them. American made anything is of suspect quality and has been for some time. We don't make things anymore, we design and innovate but not manufacture. Trade agreement or not, the Japanese love, love, love American products tangible and untangible and the altering of an agreement won't change that.
If I recall correctly from the 2016 campaign, Trump railed against TPP because of China's participation in it. That is how ignorant he was of TPP and trade in general. A pact that was essentially aimed at China's goal of regional economic hegemony he thought included China. In the nearly three years since, Trump has said or done nothing to indicate he has learned anything.
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If Americans are worried about China, which now has the world's second largest economy, then the United States and Japan should have very strong economic cooperation. The U.S. has the world's largest economic. Japan has the world's third largest economy. The U.S. and Japan together can form a strong economic bulwark against China. Donald Trump has endangered U.S. national security by not working closely with Japan, South Korea, other democratic Asian nations, and Europe (especially Germany, France, and Britain). America desperately needs a new president.
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Let's see if Trump goes off script on open mike and blathers a long tirade about the investigations...
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The business in between two great power must be bilateral. Because both country must get benefit and not lose. Business must bilateral in some fields such as IT, finance and much others fields. Japan needs America and America needs Japan. If you talk about south China Sea, it would be most important. Japan transfer lot of things to the world. Especially in gaming industry, there is lot of students in USA who currently working on college assignment and encounter multiple programming problem and They can get Programming Help online from Japan and same Japanese can getProgramming Help from USA. Means to say that world is just like a Small village where the distance is completely end.
How can any leader trust Mr. Trump? He has told more than 9000 public lies in just over two years, according to The Washington Post.
In a bilateral agreement, how can a leader know that Trump will keep his word or in a fit of anger, threaten retaliation for even a minor slight.
Being Mercurial in trade relations between allies is not good for either side.
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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits Washington DC with a lot of frequency. What is the balance of all his visits?
What a charade. Trump negotiates to deal with problems that he creates himself. Japan was part of the TPP. This partnership, despite opposition from Trump and the left, was sound policy just as Obama realized. The Dow Jones index doubled under Obama (yeah, that's right, check it out - google it). Trump has only managed a factor of 1.25 so far and the index has been effectively flat since February of 2018. It was never flat for this long at any point during the Obama administration. The decrease in unemployment since Obama left office is in the error margin - it was more than halved during the Obama administration. If any of these facts surprise you, stop reading/watching mainstream American media. They all subtly embellish this president's "achievements", even while they have to maintain a critical tone otherwise to not lose their audiences.
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It is doubtful Trumps may achieve better terms in his negotiation other than display his well-known bravado. None of his threats and intimidations has served him well. A fair example is North Korea where he bragged success while in reality he faced just as bold an opponent who was well aware of Trump's precarious position in his own country subsequently decline to budge. Other countries are just as aware of Trumps vulnerable position along with his need to achieve those terms ,which may result in their refusal to compromise, thus. impede his chances for the victory he is after.
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When Mr. Trump talks trade with Japan, it raises the hair on my neck because I know that Japan wants to introduce its superconducting Maglev passenger transport system to the United States market. As Japan acknowledges, this system was invented by Drs. James Powell and Gordon Danby.
It is a great system but since its invention Powell and Danby have created a 2nd generation design that dramatically increases the utility of the system.
Their new magnets operate on conventional railroad trackage that has been adapted to Maglev making it possible for the 2nd gen to use existing rail stations and transport terminals and with their greater power and low external magnetic field, they can carry fully loaded highway freight trucks. www.magneticglide.com This is America's most urgent future need.
So what's the problem? Powell and Danby were discovered by the late Senator Pat Moynihan who understood that the U.S. needed to develop and COMPETE their system with the other countries who were developing Maglev and proposed that we build a government funded test program similar to those funded by Japan & Germany.
However, this proposal was opposed by vested transport interests and failed to be approved by the Congress. Ironically, Elaine Chao, who was then the deputy Transportation Secretary supported the Moynihan proposal.
Now, Japan is ready and has been funded by U.S. to study a route between DC and Baltimore and the U.S. has not yet agreed to support competing the new system.
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@james jordan
This is to introduce Dr. James Powell, the Brookhaven National Lab Scientist, who, along with Dr. Gordon Danby, invented superconducting Maglev. Their story is fascinating so I thought that this clip of his son Jesse's introduction to his Dad's work would be of interest to transportation and economic growth wonks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pikyp8Y-vQ&feature=youtu.be
Most economists and technology historians attribute economic growth to innovation and invention. Inventors and innovators are special people. The history of our species seems to clearly support this thesis.
Greater efficiency that competes well in the consumer market, usually a better price or convenience has been the secret of success.
People often ask me why is Maglev taking so long to be adopted by the market? In my investigations of technology history great new ideas are slowed by the older ideas. This was true for James Watt to gain acceptance of his conversion of water to mechanical force.
Eisenhower who could see the benefits of a limited access highway required 25 years from the first discussion of the system and even then had to overcome difficult States Rights principles in the Constitution to implement the National Defense Highway Act.
So great ideas don't reach the market easily, because ideas are disruptive and vested interests resist and it is relatively easy to resist in a system of representative democracy government like ours interests to throw up barriers.
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Looks to be another photo-op with taglines to run on Fox Entertainment this evening.
Trump needs a longer tie if he thinks he's going to pull one over on 'ol Abe.
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I'm surprised that so many readers seem to believe this commenter:
"There is a reason why time and time again in his private life, this man filed for bankruptcy."
For the record, Trump has never filed for bankruptcy. In several loan workouts or real estate deals, he has formed companies that later filed for bankruptcy or Chapter 11 protection (almost always with Trump personally guaranteeing their debts), but Trump has never filed.
I nevertheless see comments like this one often.
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I am appalled at times how Mr. Trump goes about things, but here we are with Mr. Abe in town to negotiate a trade deal that improves our opportunities in Japan. And that atop a better deal with Canada and Mexico, and a vastly improved trade pact with China in the works. Bluster sure, but progress as well.
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@david g sutliff The trade deal with Japan was essentially a done deal - through TPP. The best you. Will get now is what the TPP countries get. So... where’s the winning?
The new NAFTA has not been ratified yet in Canada, or Mexico, and the WH has not even introduced it for Congress approval. Don’t believe me? Google it. So what progress are you talking about exactly? Not to mention, the new NAFTA at least as far as Canada is concerned has given you a measly .40% better deal on milk. That’s it. ANd that is just a tariff agreement, there’s zero guarantee that any of us up north want to buy your hormone and antibiotic laden products. In fact, we will go out of our way to avoid them.
We’ll see what the deal with China ends up being. So far, 45 has blustered and yelled only to get your deficit to the highest level yet. The likeliest outcome is that all the world leaders are pretending to listen, then take their time negotiating as they know in two years they can deal with a sane person - hopefully.
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Trump was a fool to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the Iran Nuclear Deal, and the Paris Climate Accord. Let us sweep the globe with our eyes to understand that nations are maneuvering with each other in spite of Trump's dictatorial stances. And where he leaves a vacuum, adversaries are quick to fill the void. There is a reason why time and time again in his private life, this man filed for bankruptcy. We will see in but a few hours how Japan acts, and reacts. Why do I find myself pulling for our Asian ally and hoping that Abe does not trust one who can not be trusted.
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@Kathy Lollock Getting out of the Paris accord and the Iran deal were terrible ideas, but the TPP is questionable. The fact is that FTAs we've concluded with other countries have really harmed American workers, and it is wrong for the Dems to ignore this. They have also exported labor to countries that have weaker human rights and labor protections. It was foolish and elitist of us Dems to ignore this issue in 2016, and that helped get Trump elected. We need a Dem candidate who understands that FTAs need to improve, ensuring that labor isn't exported to countries that have weaker labor and human rights laws, that American jobs aren't exported, and that the environment is respected.
The weekend includes golf at a Trump resort. I wonder if Mr. Trump cheats when he plays with foreign leaders?
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@KM - Trump swooned when Kim wrote him a "beautiful" personal letter which, in turn, flattered Trump into presenting the despot on the world stage with all of the recognition and prestige that comes with such an appearance. It would not surprise me if Abe isn't too concerned if his golf score doesn't match Trump's if it gets him further in negotiations which benefit him politically.
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It will be tragic for the people of Japan if Abe betrays their trust by allowing food products of much more dubious safety and quality to enter Japan.
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@Philippe Egalité Especially beginning in May when American meat inspection is deregulated and dependent on only the manufacturer to make sure it's safe for consumption. After the first e coli and salmonella outbreaks from U.S. imported meats hit Japan, millions will be screaming at their Japanese leaders.
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Instead of constantly seeking to negotiate all kinds of deals on all kinds of fronts with all kinds of partners, how about Trump just focuses on getting one thing done and that done properly - I mean from start to finish? How many times has he claimed that he has negotiated all these deals and has all these accomplishments to show, which in the end turn out to be more wishful thinking and propaganda moves than anything of substance?
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@Christopher Exactly, even his new improved Nafta deal is not complete and looks like it's about to crash and burn. What a mess he's making.
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Who would have thought POTUS is succeeding simply because he is being a Trump.
These trade talks, obviously, are complex and nothing would come much out of it.
But China may see this as a threat to it's own agreement being worked on, so China may give in some more.
The one thing, I wish this trade talk with Japan would focus on is Mr Gohn. What is happening to him is a travesty.
I know our POTUS talks about many countries holding Americans prisoners - but this man holds a passport of one of the OECD countries - France - surely an American opinion should count.
If nothing else, POTUS may raise pressure on Japan to resolve this unlawful detention.
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