Japan and the United States began ministerial talks Tuesday in Washington on a much-awaited bilateral agreement seen as crucial to cementing the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The two-day meeting between Akira Amari, minister in charge of the TPP initiative, and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman is taking place as President Barack Obama looks to reach a deal in time for his trip to Asia in November.
The meeting between the trade chiefs, the first since May, is aimed at breaking the deadlock over thorny bilateral issues and advancing the broader 12-member negotiations.