Japan will exempt its key farm products including rice and wheat from being subject to tariff cuts or elimination in a mega regional trade deal between Asia-Pacific countries including China

Asian-Pacific leaders representing the nations involved in the proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will soon discuss reaching a long-awaited agreement by the end of the year, Nikkei learned Friday.

Ministers from Asia-Pacific countries negotiating a sprawling free trade agreement will meet this week via videoconference as their year-end deadline for reaching a deal nears, the Japanese government said Tuesday.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is set to be signed on November 14 via hologram, according to Director General of the Trade Negotiations Department Auramon Supthaweethum.

Economic fallout from COVID-19 gives impetus to negotiations on trade megadeal

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has agreed to prioritise its signining of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with six free trade partners by the end of this year.

Ministers from 15 Asia-Pacific countries negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement on August 27 said they have made "significant progress" toward the signing of the deal by the end of the year, while whether India will stay on as a member of the framework remains uncertain.

Ministers from Asia-Pacific countries negotiating a sprawling free trade agreement will virtually meet this week with the aim of reaching a deal by year-end, while maintaining hope that India will return to the talks, the Japanese government said Tuesday.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has entered the legal scrubbing phase and is expected to be signed soon without India, the Trade Ministry has said.

The negotiation process on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has entered its final round and the agreement is expected to be signed in the near future, Indonesian Deputy Minister of Trade Jerry Sambuaga said.