The 18th round of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations began Monday in Malaysia as Japan prepares to make its debut near the end of the 11-day conference.
Japan won't enter the talks until July 23, when the United States, the leading economy in the TPP, completes its 90-day waiting period for notifying Congress that it intends to open trade negotiations with Japan.
The session involving the working group on market access covering tariff elimination — a crucial issue for Tokyo — is expected to conclude before Japan gets to the bargaining table, four months after announcing its intention to enter the talks.