Japan and the United States resumed discussions over outstanding bilateral issues related to Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement Monday in Singapore, where trade ministers from the 12 negotiating members were gathering to seek further progress.
The ministers, however, were not expected to announce a broad agreement on the TPP at end of the two-day meeting.
Instead, the event is aimed at "accelerating bilateral talks with each country and evaluating progress made so far," Akira Amari, Japan's minister in charge of TPP negotiations, told reporters before entering into talks with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman on the sidelines of a TPP plenary meeting.