(Reuters) - Some Pacific trading partners are aiming for a deal on a regional free trade zone as early as the next few months, sources close to the negotiations said, although others caution a pact is still a long way off and see the U.S. elections as a wild card. Trade ministers from the 12 Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) countries said after May meetings in Singapore the talks gained momentum and they would step up efforts over coming weeks.

A deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) can be struck by the end of 2015, says Australia's Trade Minister, Andrew Robb. Robb will lead a business delegation to Canada and the United States over the coming week as talks continue on the TPP, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported. The TPP involves 12 countries, namely, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the US and Vietnam.

BEIJING - The Chinese mainland will continue to impose anti-dumping duties on acetone imports from Japan, Singapore, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan for another five years from Sunday, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced on Friday. The decision was made after a year-long review of previous anti-dumping measures at the request of domestic acetone producers, the MOC said in an online statement. The five-year duties were first launched on June 9, 2008 and expired last year.

NEW DELHI, JUNE 6:   The India-US dispute over domestic content requirement in the country’s solar energy programme at the World Trade Organisation is being keenly watched by other countries with some wanting to participate as observers in the panel hearings.

Frazzled nerves are beginning to emerge in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations as they draw closer to a conclusion. That's not surprising, for TPP is one of the most ambitious trade negotiations ever conducted.   If successful it will add enormously to global trade and global economic growth.

(Reuters) - U.S. trade officials will continue investigating claims that Chinese manufacturers are selling containers for road and rail goods transport in the United States at unfairly low prices. The U.S. International Trade Commission ruled on Friday that there was a reasonable indication that imports of 53-foot domestic dry containers were hurting the local industry, after a 4-2 vote among commissioners.

The Philippines is deemed to be on the right track in addressing the issues that will allow it to accede to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), deemed as the country’s only chance to have a trade agreement with the United States. Speaking before a business luncheon Friday, Tim Groser, Minister of Trade of New Zealand, said they are well aware that the Philippine government is considering options in this respect, a move which they welcome.

Asian interest in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) process is rising. It is now perceived to be far better suited to Asia than the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which is dominated by the interests of the United States. After recent failures to conclude United States–Japan market access negotiations, the proposed TPP is no longer expected to lead to comprehensive trade liberalisation.

The negotiated positions of parties to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement will be crucial in developing other free trade pacts that are either emerging or on the table now, even if the current negotiations fail, says International Trade Minister Tim Groser.

On June 3, in the teeth of opposition from the Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the United States Department of Commerce (Commerce) made a preliminary decision to impose further anti-subsidy countervailing duties (CVDs) against imports of solar products from China and Taiwan, with anti-dumping duties also expected to be announced next month.