US President Barack Obama and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are due to meet to discuss a significant trade deal for the Pacific Rim.
The discussion comes amid a week-long state visit to Washington by Mr Abe.
The deal has been in the making for about a decade. Both leaders have advocated for the partnership, arguing that freer trade will benefit their economies, but critics in their respective countries fear that jobs and certain industries will be made more vulnerable.