Nations tackle issues, court Pacific partners, Congress, as Abe gets set to visit Washington The U.S. and Japan, nearing an accord designed to transform ties between the economic rivals and open the way for a trade pact among 12 Pacific nations, still face differences and the challenge of bringing other countries and Congress on board.

The European Union will explore the possibility of resuming talks on a free trade agreement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations more than six years after negotiations between the two sides collapsed.

The ninth round of talks on a planned major free trade deal between the U.S. and EU countries concluded Friday in New York. The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, also known as TTIP, has the potential to integrate two of the world’s largest economies by cutting tariffs and removing regulatory barriers to trade between the U.S. and the European Union.

A recent survey from the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) found that 66% of domestic enterprises have expressed support for the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) to go forward. However for transnational enterprises operating in Vietnam the survey found much less support and that only 30% of them were in favour of the 12 member Pacific Rim trade pact.

Ireland is hopeful that conclusion of the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union would be mutually beneficial and would provide greater market access to Indian firms in the 28-nation bloc. The issue came up for discussion during the meeting between commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Ireland’s minister for jobs, enterprise and innovation Richard Bruton here.

The EU and United States will likely miss a year-end target to seal the world's biggest-ever free trade deal, current European president Latvia said on 24 April. "During our (EU) presidency and during the next presidency of Luxembourg, most likely these negotiations will not be concluded," Latvia's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics told reporters in the capital Riga, referring to talks on the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, or TTIP.

China hopes to finish talks on creating an Asian free-trade bloc estimated to cover 28 percent of the world economy by the end of this year, the country's trade minister said on 23 April. Gao Hucheng said on the sidelines of China's annual session of parliament that China would work hard to wrap up talks for the RCEP, or Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, before the end of this year.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung expressed hope for early conclusion of negotiations with the US on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (PPP) deal while meeting US Trade Representative Michael Froman in Hanoi on April 22. Though difficulties remain ahead, especially in contents regarding market, services and investment, government procurement, intellectual property, State-owned enterprises and labour, the PM noted that the two sides have made long steps forward in the spirit of straightforwardness, sincerity, constructiveness, good will and cooperation.

(VOV) - Serious weaknesses in the lack of preparedness by businesses in Vietnam’s agro-forestry and seafood sectors threaten the realization of Vietnam’s integration into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) in 2015. ASEAN was first formed in 1967 with six member countries – Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – and subsequently joined by Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.

After another recent round of intense negotiations, Japan's Economic Minister Akira Amari and US Trade Representative Michael Froman were said to have made significant progress towards a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement between the two countries, but that more effort will be necessary.