Trans-Pacific Partnership

President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will discuss trade and the U.S.-Japan bilateral economic relationship during a working lunch at the White House on Friday, a senior administration official told reporters on Feb. 9. That official also said currency manipulation is not a top agenda item for Trump, despite his recent rhetoric on the issue.

An Australian legislative committee tasked with reviewing the Trans-Pacific Partnership has recommended that the parliament not consider ratifying the trade agreement due to the United States' withdrawal, while also noting that the potential exists for a replacement regional deal in the Asia-Pacific without the U.S.

Reps. Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Gregory Meeks (D-NY), co-chairs of the moderate New Democrat Coalition's new task force on trade issues, told Inside U.S. Trade that a trade agenda for the coalition is in the works and stressed the group's support for a multilateral approach to agreements, which has been disdained by the Trump administration.

“There cannot be conflict between China and the United States, as both sides will lose and both sides cannot afford that.”

The trade minister for New Zealand -- the Trans-Pacific Partnership depository -- is traveling to several TPP countries to discuss the U.S. withdrawal from the deal and other regional trade issues, Todd McClay said last week.

Eyeing a March summit of Trans-Pacific Partnership countries in Chile, the country's vice minister of commerce says she hopes China -- which has also been invited -- plays a role in helping to forge a TPP-like deal.

Reuters quotes an administration official saying negotiations with Japan might not have to be “protracted.”

“We’ve been very vocal both as an industry and as a company and we’ve repeatedly said that the mother of all trade barriers is currency manipulation.”