U.S. trade chief Michael Froman said Thursday there is no prospect of clinching an agreement on a contentious Pacific free trade initiative at the upcoming summit of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
"We do not expect to have a final agreement on TPP at APEC" in Beijing, Froman said at an event in Washington, referring to the negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, which involves the United States and 11 other countries.
He said the summit, to be held from Nov. 10 to 11, will be a good opportunity for the leaders of the TPP members to "have conversations with each other about the TPP, about whatever outstanding issues are left and to give more political impetus to getting it done."