Acquiescing to the demands of U.S. President Donald Trump, Japan has decided to open bilateral trade negotiations with the United States in hopes of avoiding U.S. tariffs on its automobiles, people close to the matter said Saturday.

The plan would break with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's preference for a multilateral trade relationship with the U.S. under the Trans-Pacific Partnership, but Abe has not given up on drawing Trump back into the now 11-nation agreement.

Tokyo will propose a joint statement laying out how to move forward with planned negotiations when Toshimitsu Motegi, state minister in charge of trade talks, meets with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Monday in New York, the sources said.