Japanese trade officials are planning to resume working-level talks with their US counterparts on a free-trade pact. They'll try again to narrow their differences on key issues ahead of a ministerial meeting on the Trans-Pacific Partnership later this month.

Japan's minister in charge of TPP talks, Akira Amari, met US Trade Representative Michael Froman in late September. But they failed to agree on a tariff structure for 5 agricultural categories and auto parts.

Japanese negotiators are apparently feeling pressure to compromise, as participating countries try to close the deal by year-end.

Froman says Japan's response is key to doing so. Officials of New Zealand and Canada are also urging Japanese officials to further open their markets.

Ministers from 12 Pacific-rim countries are scheduled to meet for 3 days in Sydney from October 25th. They are to discuss tariffs, intellectual property, and preferential treatment for state-backed businesses.

In the meantime, Japanese officials hope to achieve a breakthrough in bilateral talks with the US to speed up the overall negotiations.

Source: NHK

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