The 16th round of negotiations for the U.S.-led Trans-Pacific Partnership talks began Monday in Singapore, with consideration of new membership and charting out plans to ensure a free-trade deal by October high on the agenda.
The meetings through March 13 will involve some 600 delegates from the 11 countries negotiating the U.S.-led TPP agreement: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.
Singapore's chief negotiator, Ng Bee Khim, was quoted by The Straits Times newspaper as saying membership will be one of the main issues to be discussed during the round.