Japan to join KL’s TPP talks in July
Business Times, Malaysia
Japan to join KL’s TPP talks in July
25 May 2013
LIMA/AP : Negotiators working on a trade agreement among 11 Asia-Pacific nations have completed a 17th round of talks in Peru for the so-called Trans-Pacific Partnership, and say Japan will join the talks when they reconvene in Malaysia in July.
Member nations say they hope to finish negotiations by October. The trade bloc would encompass more than 700 million people.
Current members are the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Peru, Chile and Mexico.
The 10-day talks that ended Friday were secret. Activists have expressed concerns Washington is trying to impose an intellectual property regime that would inhibit Internet freedom and drive up pharmaceutical costs in weaker member economies.
US chief negotiator Barbara Weisel told reporters it will be helpful if better consensus is reached in future meetings.
