Trump pressures Japan to deal with trade deficit

NHK -- Sep 08

US President Donald Trump has pressured Japan to reduce its trade deficit with the US.

Trump told reporters on Friday that Japan knows "it's a big deal" if the two countries cannot reach an agreement in trade talks.

Japan and the US began a new round of talks last month, but little progress has been made due to wide differences.

Trump said the only reason he isn't in talks with Japan quite yet is that he's still dealing with China.

Trump's remarks are apparently an attempt to use the threat of higher tariffs on Japanese vehicles, and push Japan to open its agricultural market.

A leading US newspaper reported earlier that Trump is very focused on eliminating trade deficits with US trading partners, and that he is bothered by the current terms of US trade with Japan.