Ministers from 12 Pacific-Rim countries failed Tuesday to achieve the goal of reaching a broad agreement on an envisioned regional free trade deal due to remaining gulfs over such key outstanding issues as tariff elimination.
After wrapping up their four-day meeting in Singapore, the members involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership talks said in a joint statement that they made "further strides toward a final agreement."
But they acknowledged that some issues, including tariff removal, remain unresolved and they pledged to continue working toward completion of an "ambitious package" in the area of market access among Japan, the United States and 10 other nations.