11 TPP countries start two day intensive talks in Tokyo

September 21, 2017

TOKYO- Chief negotiators from the remaining 11 signatory countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact started two-day intensive talks in Tokyo on Thursday to advance work to decide which items in the pact would be suspended or revised if it is put into force despite the United States' withdrawal early this year.

"We hope to promptly advance the talks while maintaining high-standard liberalization measures in the TPP," Japanese chief negotiator Kazuyoshi Umemoto, who chairs the Tokyo meeting, said at the beginning of the first-day session.

Umemoto stressed the importance of mutual understanding among the member countries for reaching a broad accord on a new "TPP 11" pact by the time an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum summit is held in Vietnam in early November.

Since July, the 11 TPP countries, also including Australia, have held chief negotiators' talks once a month. The July meeting took place in the hot spring resort town of Hakone, Kanagawa Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo.

The 11 countries are poised to return to the original pact if the United States come backs to the TPP. Jiji Press