TOKYO — In a possible gambit to reverse his governing party’s flagging fortunes, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda appears likely to declare Japan’s intent to join an ambitious pan-Pacific free trade agreement, then call a snap election in which the pa

OSAKA — Dealing with tensions between Japan and its East Asian neighbors, resolving the long-stalled relocation of the U.S. Futenma base, negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade deal, and promoting nuclear power while Japan looks to phase it out are just some of the bilateral issues U.S. President Barack Obama faces in his second term.

In a statement made to the Peruvian news agency Andina, Peru’s Ministry of Trade and Tourism (Mincetur) announced that it will send a delegation to the Inter-sectoral Meeting of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) scheduled to take place November 12-17 in Los Cabos, Mexico. The story published by Andina contains a very important revelation that is usually left out of similar statements made by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) regarding the TPP.

BEIJING, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Thursday that it will impose five-year anti-dumping duties on high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes imported from the European Union (EU) and Japan. Duty rates will range from 9.2 percent to 14.4 percent and will become effective on Friday, the ministry said. An investigation showed that the EU and Japan have been dumping high-performance stainless steel seamless tubes into the Chinese market, substantially harming Chinese producers, the ministry said in a statement.

Tokyo, Nov. 7 (Jiji Press)--Japanese business leader Hiromasa Yonekura said Wednesday that he hopes the United States will support Japan's entry into Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations. Yonekura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, made the comments following the reelection of U.S. President Barack Obama. Japan's participation in the TPP would make it easier for the country to import low-priced natural gas from the United States, a Japanese city gas industry executive said.

During the recent official visit to Thailand of the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, prospects of a European Union (EU)-Thailand partnership cooperation agreement (PCA) and free trade agreement (FTA) were central topics during discussions with Yingluck Shinawatra, Prime Minister of Thailand.

SAN DIEGO -- A U.S. trade official held open the possibility that current parties would seek to renegotiate a completed Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement to address the new issues that would arise if Japan sought to join after the deal has entered into force.

China’s absence from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement is seen by critics as potentially costly to all. Yet with the United States and its allies seemingly set on promoting the TPP, will Asia be divided into competing blocs rather than brought together by the biggest attempt at regional free trade?

Tajikistan has cleared a significant hurdle in its bid to achieve membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO) after the Working Party overseeing its accession approved the package spelling out its terms of entry to the organization.

Japan’s leadership has just overcome one of the most difficult challenges in a democracy: raising the nation’s consumption tax for social welfare.