The 12 countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade negotiations will launch a fresh round of talks Monday with expectations for progress as Japan and the United States move closer to resolving thorny bilateral issues.
Their chief negotiators are set to hold the four-day meeting in Ho Chi Minh City and follow it up with a ministerial gathering in Singapore from May 19 to 20 to tackle pending issues ranging from tariffs and intellectual property rights to reform of state-owned firms.
The TPP members failed to reach a broad agreement at their last ministerial session in February in Singapore due to Japan-U.S. bickering over market access for farm products and autos — their biggest sticking points.