Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo are major U.S. trading partners, although they have been at loggerheads among themselves over issues, including territorial disputes.

In a significant move to counter increasing trade pressures from the United States, China, Japan, and South Korea have decided to unite against rising tariffs imposed by the US. These three major Asian economies held their first economic discussions in five years,

Trade chiefs from China, Japan and South Korea renewed their call for an open, fair flow of goods and pledged to deepen economic ties, a few days before the Trump administration is set to unleash fresh tariffs on nations around the world.

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump is taking a blowtorch to the rules that have governed world trade for decades. The “reciprocal’’ tariffs that he is expected to announce Wednesday are likely to create chaos for global businesses and conflict with America’s allies and adversaries alike.

U.S. President Donald Trump was poised to impose sweeping new reciprocal tariffs on global trading partners on Wednesday, upending decades of rules-based trade, threatening cost increases and likely drawing retaliation from all sides.