Farm minister Yuji Yamamoto and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy have affirmed the readiness of the two countries' governments to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact "at an early date."
During a courtesy call by the U.S. envoy on Thursday, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yamamoto told Kennedy he will exert the utmost effort to achieve early ratification of the Pacific free trade pact, according to a ministry official who was present at the largely closed door meeting.
Kennedy was quoted as saying that Washington wants the TPP be ratified early because it is a matter of the highest priority for the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama.
Covering about 40 percent of the global economy, the TPP signatories are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam.