(Reuters) - Japan and the United States remain far apart on bilateral trade talks that are key to a Pacific-wide trade deal, Japanese economy minister Akira Amari said on 21/2. The two biggest economies in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks are seeking agreement on their key bilateral issues - cars for the United States and farm products such as rice for Japan - to facilitate a deal among the 12 Pacific Rim nations in the talks. Amari told a regular news conference that "considerable gaps remain" between Tokyo and Washington.

(Reuters) - Barriers to farm imports in Japan and Canada will be one focus of free trade talks with Pacific Rim countries this weekend (22/2), U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said on Thursday. Speaking at an agricultural conference shortly before leaving for the next round of talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in Singapore, he said negotiators were keen to resolve sticking points to allow the talks to go forward.

As the European Union and the United States wrap up a week of talks on the transatlantic trade and investment partnership (TTIP) in Washington, the EU still says it hopes to have something to show before the European elections in May. But observers say the real, final deadline is mid 2016, just before the US elections. Partners on both sides of the Atlantic have expressed hope to finish negotiations on the trade deal swiftly, perhaps even before the end of this year.

(Reuters) - America's ambitious trade agenda is running into fierce resistance in Asia, but negotiators say a draft Pacific free-trade deal that papers over some differences may be ready by the time U.S. President Barack Obama visits the region in April. A central element of Obama's strategic shift towards Asia, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) could accelerate global economic growth, boost U.S. exports and level the playing field between emerging and rich nations in one of the world's biggest trade pacts, covering about one-third of global trade.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Commerce Department announced Friday that it launched anti-dumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) investigations against imports of carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod from China. Carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod is primarily used for subsequent drawing and finishing into wire products.

NEW DELHI: The government is set to ask all its officials to stay away from any interaction with a delegation from the US International Trade Commission (USITC), a quasi-judicial agency, probing the impact of India's trade and investment regime on the American economy in what is seen as the latest sore point in economic ties between the two countries.

Nairobi: East African Community partner states have made relative progress in eliminating non-tariff barriers (NTBs) over the past twelve months, with the number of newly reported ones falling for the first time, new data shows. As a result, businesses could benefit from a reduction in the cost of doing business in the coming months with the lessening of NTBs — mainly weighbridges, roadblocks, poor infrastructure, unnecessary delays at border posts, and lack of harmonised import and export standards, procedures and documentation.

SINGAPORE: Negotiators are "very close" to completing a US-led Pacific trade pact this year, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said ahead of a crucial meeting in the city-state this weekend.  Trade ministers from 12 countries will meet from Saturday to Tuesday in a bid to iron out kinks in the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) after negotiators failed to meet a self-imposed deadline to strike a deal by the end of last year.

President Barack Obama will strive to come to an agreement with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts on the Trans-Pacific Partnership as the three leaders meet this week to discuss how the members of Nafta will fit into the new, far-reaching trade pact.

TOKYO, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- Akira Amari, Japan's minister in charge of the Trans- Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade talks, said on Tuesday that Japan may make concessions over sensitive farm products' tariffs, local media reported. The TPP negotiations will never make progress "if there is no change at all," Amari told a press conference, "I guess no one thinks that all tariff lines will be in status quo."