Japan trade official: no need to wait for TPA discussion in US

[TOKYO] Deputy chief trade negotiator Hiroshi Oe said on Friday that Japan thinks there's no need to wait for fast-track trade legislation to be discussed in the United States before Japan and the US can wrap up a two-way trade deal.

Mr Oe was speaking to reporters after talks with his counterpart Wendy Cutler, acting deputy US trade representative.

They were meeting ahead of talks among chief negotiators on the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact in Hawaii next week. Japan and the United States are TPP negotiation members and they play a key role in the deal.

Economy Minister Akira Amari said early enactment of trade promotion authority (TPA) legislation in the United States would be a major condition for the conclusion of the TPP deal.

REUTERS