(Reuters) - Asia-Pacific nations including China, the United States and Japan promised measures to boost growth on Sunday and rejected limits on food exports to try to revive the flagging global economy. Countries on the Pacific Rim ended a two-day summit on an island off the Russian port city of Vladivostok by expressing concern about the state of the world economy, global food security and growing signs of protectionism.

(Reuters) - Asia-Pacific nations including China, the United States and Japan promised measures to boost growth on Sunday and rejected limits on food exports to try to revive the flagging global economy. Countries on the Pacific Rim ended a two-day summit on an island off the Russian port city of Vladivostok by expressing concern about the state of the world economy, global food security and growing signs of protectionism.

Vladivostok, Russia: Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says APEC has made significant and useful steps forward even though there were no earth-shaking changes this time round.  One such positive move, for example, is to cut tariffs on a list of eco-friendly goods like solar batteries and wind turbines to no more than 5 percent by 2015. At the conclusion of this year's APEC meeting on Sunday, leaders also reaffirmed the commitment to trade and investment liberalisation in the Asia-Pacific region.

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Asia-Pacific nations have made a breakthrough in promoting trade in 'green' technology, and the United States is pressing ahead with efforts to carve out a regional free-trade zone, a senior U.S. official said on Friday. Speaking before a summit of leaders of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said the group had agreed to slash import duties on technologies that can promote economic growth without endangering the environment.

Consultations on August 30 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Ministers (AEM), led by Cham Prasidh, the Cambodian Minister of Commerce, and the United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk agreed to pursue a further deepening of trade and investment ties.

ASIA-PACIFIC business leaders have called for the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade accord negotiations to be wrapped up in early 2013. In a joint statement released yesterday, eight prominent business organisations - including the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) - urged TPP leaders to "move forward expeditiously and boldly" to achieve an "ambitious, comprehensive and high-standard" outcome.

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia—Japan will not join talks this year on creating a free-trade zone for the Pacific region, as ruling party members remain opposed to Tokyo's entry and politicians are focusing on a looming election, sources said. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has decided he cannot declare the government's entry into talks on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership when leaders meet for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vladivostok on Sept. 8-9, perhaps the last possible date to join TPP talks scheduled for December, the sources said.

Against the backdrop of an APEC leaders' pow-wow this weekend, Singapore has asked China to consider joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). This was raised in talks between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and President Hu Jintao yesterday morning in Beijing. Both are due to attend the APEC leaders' meeting in Vladivostok, Russia.

Another round of negotiations toward a Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement begins today, and someone is missing from the conference in Leesburg, Virginia: Japan. This marks a major political failure on Tokyo's part. It's also an opportunity for any Japanese leader who cares to capitalize on it.

CHENGDU, China — Defying Chinese threats of retaliation against European wines and industrial materials, the European Union is preparing to begin on Thursday morning a broad investigation into whether Chinese companies have been exporting solar panels for less than it costs to make them. The case would be one of the largest trade actions in European history and could lead to steep tariffs on much of China’s $20 billion in annual exports of solar products to Europe, four people familiar with the dispute said Wednesday.