Japan and Mexico, racing against the clock ahead of President Vicente Fox's visit to Tokyo, extended talks late into the evening Tuesday to hammer out a free trade agreement.
The night before Fox's arrival, the two camps were still at loggerheads over whether to eliminate tariffs on pork, according to an official who briefed reporters.
With Japan insisting on protecting its 10,000 pig farmers, pork has become the most contentious issue, although others also remain on the table.