TOKYO, Sept. 14 — Japan has been pushing for expedited trade talks with the 11 members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in meetings with their ambassadors in Tokyo to complete a fresh agreement by November that would bring into force without the United States.
Yet, it is unclear if the TPP could be totally salvaged in the next two months, as there is still a lot remaining, informed sources said.
Japan’s TPP Minister Toshimitsu Motegi met with ambassadors from 11 members, such as Vietnam and Malaysia, on Sept. 13. He asked them to narrow down the list of issues that will be on ice until the U.S. returns to the TPP.
“We recognized the need for 11 members to maintain high levels of ambitions and reach a new deal expeditiously,” Motegi told reporters after the meetings.
Motegi also talked with Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo over the phone. The move comes as Tokyo will chair a senior trade official meeting later this month in Tokyo.
The remaining 11 TPP members are aiming to reach a new agreement by early November when their leaders meet at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Vietnam.