The US president is set to conclude his first tour of Asia in Seoul in the coming days where high-stakes talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping over trade disagreements are scheduled to take place.

US President Donald Trump signed a framework with Japan on securing the supply of critical minerals and rare earths. China has a near-monopoly on global rare-earth supplies, which Beijing has weaponized in its trade war with the US.

As President Donald Trump tours Asia this week, a delegation from North Carolina is also visiting Tokyo hoping to drum up some business. Why it matters: Japan has become an increasingly important part of North Carolina's tech and manufacturing economy.