KEI Comments on the August 30, 2013 version of the TPP IP Chapter

TOKYO, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Japan and the United States on Tuesday confirmed their cooperation toward concluding the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations by the end of this year, according to local media. After a meeting with visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso said that they confirmed that the two countries will work together to finish the free trade talks by yearend, reported Japan's Kyodo News.

Trans-Pacific Partnership partner countries, including the United States, will be hosting a series of meetings in coming weeks on various aspects of the ongoing negotiations: October 28-November 1          

The countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks made little progress on intellectual property rights at an interim meeting Monday because of lingering disputes between the United States and emerging economies.

TOKYO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Japan hosted Thursday a working group meeting of the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade talks, marking the first one that was held in the latest TPP member.

Twelve countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations will hold a ministerial meeting Dec. 7 to 9 in Singapore, with an aim to conclude a deal by year-end, official sources said Monday.

Japan and the United States will hold their third round of bilateral trade negotiations next week in Washington on auto trade-related issues and nontariff measures, the government said Friday.

The immutable principle of TPP is to push up the trade liberalization and fair competition among enterprises, with no discrimination for private, foreign invested or domestic enterprises.

(Reuters) – China is unlikely to join talks on an Asia-Pacific free trade agreement anytime soon, but eventually the world's No. 2 economy will have to be involved in the pact, New Zealand Trade Minister Tim Groser said on Wednesday.

Japan should play a leading role in the Trans-Pacific trade talks and toward the goal of striking a deal by the end of the year, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday.