Washington —President Trump is in Tokyo for the second day of his Asia tour, as he looks to cement trade deals during his nearly week-long trip.
Mr. Trump is expected to meet Tuesday morning local time with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, before delivering remarks aboard the USS George Washington at Yokosuka Naval Base and attending a business leadership reception in the evening.
The new Japanese prime minister hopes to further trade ties in several critical areas. Over the summer, the two sides struck a deal that includes the U.S. charging 15% tariffs on Japanese goods — lower than the 25% initially threatened by Mr. Trump — in exchange for Japan pledging to invest billions in U.S. industry. It’s not yet clear where those invested dollars would go.
The meeting between Mr. Trump and the Japanese prime minister will be their first — Takaichi only took office last week. The first female leader of Japan, Takaichi was close with the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a friend of Mr. Trump’s up until his assassination in 2022.
On Monday, the president met with Japanese Emperor Naruhito at Tokyo’s imperial palace.
South Korea is the next and final stop on the president’s trip, which started over the weekend in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — a visit marked by trade frameworks between the U.S. and Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.
On the South Korean front, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters he doesn’t expect to finalize a trade deal with the country when the U.S. president visits on Wednesday, but said he thinks they’re close. Mr. Trump and the South Korean government announced a framework over the summer that was similar to the Japan deal, with 15% tariffs on South Korean goods and investments pledged in the U.S.
The multi-stop Asia trip will culminate with a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea on Thursday at a summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, as they look to put an end to the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China.
On his way to Tokyo, Mr. Trump predicted the U.S. and China would complete a trade agreement before he returns to Washington later in the week. The two sides have had a rocky relationship in recent months. The president threatened to impose an additional 100% tariff on imports from China — for a total rate of 140% — starting Saturday, Nov. 1, lashing out against new export restrictions imposed by Beijing.
On his way to Tokyo, Mr. Trump also said he would like to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, although there are no such plans for a meeting.
