What Happened Japan and the United States are a step closer to achieving direct, bilateral negotiations on a trade agreement. Following a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sept. 26 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the two countries have agreed to begin trade negotiations. He did not, however, give specifics. The White House released a joint statement saying that the two countries will enter talks for a U.S.-Japan trade agreement after appropriate domestic procedures are carried out. Such talks are intended to give way to discussions on trade and investment, with an eye toward early results. The statement further indicated that while such discussions are underway, neither country will enact trade measures against the other but will instead seek to solve tariff-related issues.