Japan sticks to TPP, U.S. seeks bilateral deal in 1st trade talks

Japan and the United States were at odds Thursday over trade policy, with Tokyo calling for a U.S. return to the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Washington pushing for a bilateral trade deal.Speaking to reporters after meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer for the first round of ministerial trade talks in Washington, Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan's economic revitalization minister, said the two sides will continue talks on Friday.During Thursday's session, Motegi told Lighthizer that Japan believes the TPP -- an 11-member regional trade pact from which the United States withdrew…READ FULL ARTICLE