Japan hopeful TPP agreement deadline will be met

Japan's trade minister Akira Amari told reporters on Tuesday  that Pacific Rim nations are working towards finalizing an ambitious free trade deal ahead of deadline. The United States and Japan, the two biggest economies in the talks, are both keen for strong intellectual property protections, such as long copyright periods and data protection for next-generation drugs. A major sticking point for the agreement is dairy. Mexico is under pressure to give Australia and New Zealand more access to its markets, while Canada is also so far resisting demands to open up its protected local industry. Chambers of commerce from many of the TPP countries, which include Singapore, Peru, Chile and Brunei, have kept up pressure for an ambitious and comprehensive agreement.