TPP Deal Unlikely to Emerge This Year: Mexico Channel NewsAsia
go to original December 10, 2013

What is the TPP? (InternetAnon)

The head of one of the negotiating teams at the Trans Pacific Partnership talks in Singapore said a concrete deal is unlikely to emerge this year.

Mexico's secretary of the economy Ildefonso Guajardo, told Channel NewsAsia that participants in the talks are being pragmatic about narrowing differences among the 12 member countries, particularly on the sticky issue of Intellectual Property rights.

However, meeting the year-end deadline set by US president Barack Obama for a free trade accord was probably not on.

Mr Guajardo said: "I think that by the end of the year, we'll be in a very strong position with most of the main difficult items being reviewed and (will have) decided on how we can solve these issues. Probably we'll have to go into the beginning of next year.

"I'm sure that we'll continue this speed of work and we'll be able to close it in the early part of 2014."

See the original at Channel NewsAsia

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