Japan and the United States are still "in stalemate" over key items holding up the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact, Tokyo's TPP minister, Akira Amari, said Thursday during the latest round of ministerial talks.
Amari told reporters that he and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman will meet again Friday in Washington, but there are "fairly big" gaps over thorny issues such as Japan's tariff exceptions for some agricultural produce.
Amari did not comment on whether he thought the two governments could make a breakthrough in the impasse before the summit between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Barack Obama in Tokyo on April 24.