A U.S.-Japan trade agreement is set to take effect on Jan. 1 following ratification by the Japanese parliament. The pact that will eliminate or reduce tariffs on many exports between the world's largest and third-largest economies is a welcome development.
But the agreement is narrow in scope and pales in comparison to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which advances free trade in everything from goods to services and investment, and from which the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has withdrawn. Tokyo and Washington should continue to work toward bringing about a more comprehensive agreement.