The White House on Friday dashed hopes of a breakthrough on U.S.-Japan trade when President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe meet in Washington next week, further delaying a major 12-nation Pacific trade pact.

"We're not there yet," said Caroline Atkinson, Obama's deputy national security adviser.

A deal between Japan and the United States is vital to clinching a Trans-Pacific Partnership pact, as their economies account for 80 percent of the group. Obama also sees the TPP, which will cover a third of world trade, as an important counterweight to China's growing clout in the region.