More than 48 members of Congress, including nine senators, said allowing Japan to join free-trade talks with 10 other nations could lead to more Japanese auto imports and fewer American auto jobs.
Their letter to President Barack Obama comes as Japanese media reports suggest Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could formally ask as early as Friday to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks, after meeting with Obama last month.
The United States and 11 other nations — including Canada and Mexico — have been in talks since 2011 aimed at creating a massive free trade zone that would eliminate all tariffs and barriers among the nations. But Japan has so far has stayed out of the talks.
Source
The Detroit News