Experts this week held out the possibility that Japan and the U.S. could still reach a breakthrough agreement by the end of September that would ultimately allow Japan to enter the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. However, they conceded that a variety of political factors make the likelihood of such a breakthrough unclear, and agreed that Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is still unable to fully focus his attention on the issue of TPP entry.

Progress in free-trade talks between the European Union and Vietnam may trigger a resurgence of investment in the Southeast Asian nation from companies within the 27-nation bloc, the EU’s top representative in Vietnam said.

YANGON, June 28 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's finance ministry has exempted the commercial tax on import of agriculture-related items and sale of them at home for a period of nine months, official media reported Thursday. The exempted items cover fertilizer, pesticide, farming equipment and machinery, said the New Light of Myanmar. The exemption will take effective from July 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013, it said.

Both Canada and Mexico have been invited to join the U.S., along with other countries already engaged in negotiations which will deepen trade and economic ties within the Asia-Pacific region. Such a deal would surpass NAFTA in size and scope. The U.S. led talks which have been criticized for their secretive nature, could be used to update aspects of existing trade pacts among member nations. This would provide the perfect opportunity for a backdoor renegotiation of NAFTA without officially having to open it back up.

(Reuters) - A California congressman at the center of a legal battle with the White House on Wednesday asked U.S. trade officials to let him sit in on negotiations in San Diego next week between the United States and other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

WASHINGTON, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government on Tuesday launched anti-dumping (AD) investigations against imports of xanthan gum from China and Australia. The products covered by the investigations are dry xanthan gum, whether or not coated or blended with other products, said the U.S. Commerce Department in a statement, alleging that those products were sold at less than fair value in U.S. market, with imports from China and Australia having dumping margin of 154.07 percent and 145.20 percent, respectively.

LIMA, June 27 — The European Union Tuesday signed a multipartite free trade agreement (FTA) with Peru and Colombia which is expected to become effective before the end of this year, according to EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht. Peruvian Minister for Foreign Trade Jose Luis Silva signed the deal together with Danish Ambassador Jonas Bering Liisberg representing the EU Council Presidency, the Colombian Minister for Trade Sergio Diaz-Granados, and De Gucht.

The European Commissioner Karel De Gucht and Vietnamese Minister for Industry and Trade Vu Huy Hoang have officially launched negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and Vietnam. Both sides are said to be seeking a comprehensive agreement covering tariff and non-tariff barriers as well as commitments on other trade related aspects, notably procurement, regulatory issues, competition, services, and sustainable development.

(Reuters) - The European Union, the United States and Japan on Wednesday requested a dispute settlement panel at the World Trade Organization (WTO) after failing to resolve a battle over China's export restrictions on rare earth minerals. The move followed a complaint the three trade powers took to the WTO in March, the first they have launched jointly, and comes amid a series of clashes with China over economic issues, including the value of the Chinese currency.

(Reuters) - The United States and eight other countries on Monday welcomed Mexico into talks aimed at reaching an Asia Pacific free trade agreement, but continued to mull over Canada and Japan's seven-month-old bids to join the negotiations.