On the sidelines of the US-China trade war, news reports emerge stating that the US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer is expected to meet Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on May 24 for trade discussions.

This round of talks will precede an upcoming summit meeting due to take place a few days later between the two countries. Trump had previously confirmed that he hoped the US and Japan will come to an agreement on a bilateral trade arrangement during his visit to Tokyo in end May.

On Friday, the US government announced its decision to delay a decision on imposing tariffs on imported cars, offering some relief to Japan as well as to the EU.