Getting a free-trade agreement between Japan and the United States is a much-needed goal, but it will require close multilevel exchanges, according to a top executive of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

Thomas Whitson, the new president of the ACCJ and a partner in the international public accounting giant KPMG FAS Co., stressed during an interview Monday in Tokyo that an FTA would benefit both nations.

"That is a goal . . . of the American Chamber on a long-term basis," said Whitson, though he's under no illusion a pact will be signed anytime soon.