US pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership in January. The remaining 11 member countries, including Japan, are pursuing the possibility of getting the deal implemented without the US.
The Pacific-Rim countries will hold a ministerial meeting in Vietnam in late May to discuss the trade deal. A media correspondent says the US administration is eager to not only protect domestic manufacturers, but also to boost exports of US farm goods.
He also said that the administration may start pressuring trade partners to enter bilateral negotiations. NHK
