Members of the revamped Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal could agree in principle to allow Britain to join as a new member this year, using the European country's case as a model for future aspirants, Japan's economic minister, Daishiro Yamagiwa, has said.
At a news conference following a ministerial meeting in Singapore on Saturday for the regional trade deal, Yamagiwa said he believes that based on the views of some members, there could be a basic agreement "perhaps within this year."
The process of Britain's accession to the 11-member pact, formally known as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, "will be a good precedent" in meeting the high standards for trade rules and transparency, said Yamagiwa, minister in charge of economic revitalization.