U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed on Wednesday to intensify talks to expand investment and trade during their meeting at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
Despite agreeing to pursue talks, the two leaders made it clear that differences remained in each countries' approach to their trade imbalances.
While President Trump said he preferred a bilateral FTA with Japan, Prime Minister Abe said re-engaging in the Trans-Pacific Partnership is the best option for both countries.
Japan is one of the few key U.S. allies that has not been granted exemptions from the Trump administration's tariffs on steel and aluminum imports into the U.S.