TPP trade talks make headway on car parts hurdle

Atlanta

NEGOTIATORS trying to clinch a Pacific Rim free trade deal made headway on Wednesday over how to remove a stumbling block and give carmakers a freer hand to sell cars in the United States with more parts purchased in Asia.

People briefed on the closed-door talks said that Canada and Mexico signalled a willingness to open the North American car market to more parts made in Asia, one of the key hurdles to sealing a broader deal on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).