(Reuters) - Free trade talks between the United States and soon-to-be 10 other Asia-Pacific nations have entered their most delicate phase, requiring tough decisions on issues ranging from sugar to patents, a senior U.S. negotiator said on Wednesday. "There's a certain rhythm to negotiations and we have moved through the 29 chapters (of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement) in a very aggressive way," the official said, looking back on the first 30 months of talks.

The World Trade Organization's (WTO) Dispute Settlement Body has appointed a panel at the behest of India to mediate on a complaint in relation to American countervailing measures on certain hot-rolled carbon steel flat products from India. In applying for WTO mediation, India argued the measures are inconsistent with the US's obligations under several provisions of the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994.

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (Jiji Press)--The United States and eight other nations negotiating an expansion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal have effectively postponed the conclusion of their talks, originally planned for the end of the year. In a statement issued Sunday, leaders of the nine nations reaffirmed their commitment "to concluding a comprehensive, next-generation regional agreement that liberalizes and promotes trade and investment, and addresses new and traditional trade issues and 21st-century challenges."

TOKYO, Sept 11, 2012 (AFP) - - New Zealand's Prime Minister John Key on Tuesday urged Japan to join talks for a planned Pacific free trade deal that advocates hope will prove a boon to the region's economy. Key, in a joint press address with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, said the talks over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) were gaining momentum with Mexico and Canada expected to get on board soon. "My strong hope is that Japan will join the negotiations," he told reporters.

Talks between Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and John Key have failed to deliver any concrete signs Japan has come off the fence over joining the regional Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks. The meeting with Noda was the final official engagement on the Prime Minister's six day visit to Japan and the Apec summit in Russia. Key said Noda was “forward-leaning” on wanting to join the TPP “under the right conditions” and had raised the issue at the meeting. But he faces domestic opposition as well as a challenge to his leadership.

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government on Tuesday sent a delegation to Europe to negotiate with the European Union (EU) about the trade friction over solar panel imports. The delegation, led by Chong Quan, deputy representative for China's international trade talks, will make representations with government departments of Germany and France, as well as the European Commission.

The California Chamber of Commerce is supporting participation by Canada and Mexico in a proposed trade agreement whose current members account for more than $14 billion in our states exports. Leaders of the nine current Trans-Pacific Partnership countries — Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam and the U.S. — have announced broad outlines of an ambitious, high-standarded and regional 21st-century agreement.

Delegates attending trans-Pacific free-trade negotiations in the United States are being warned their countries could end up like Australia if they agree to allow corporations to sue governments in international courts. Australia is fending off a challenge to its plain cigarette packets legislation from Philip Morris International under the terms of an obscure Hong Kong investment treaty even though Philip Morris has lost its case against Australia in the High Court.

BRUNEI'S involvement in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will help build Brunei's economy in the long term to ensure the country has a "flexible and robust" economy, an APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) member said. Tony Nowell (pic), the chair of Scion and an ABAC representative from New Zealand, said that with Brunei being a small economy like New Zealand and Singapore, there is a need for the Sultanate to be less reliant on oil and gas.

VLADIVOSTOK, RUSSIA: Malaysia and the United States are hoping to see a conclusion to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) multilateral trade negotiations by end-2013, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said here Sunday. Najib, who had a bilateral meeting with the US State Secretary Hillary Clinton here today, said there were several issues yet to be satisfied and both governments are hoping that resolutions would be found for the outstanding issues by then.