[CTC] Japanese official: No deal yet in TPP auto talks with U.S., Canada and Mexico

[Arthur Stamoulis]

POLITICO

Japanese official: No deal yet in TPP auto talks with U.S., Canada and
Mexico

By Doug Palmer

09/11/2015 06:57PM EDT

Japan had "very productive" talks this week with the United States, Canada
and Mexico on automotive issues holding up a deal on the proposed
Trans-Pacific Partnership pact, but no agreement was reached, a Japanese
official said today.

"There are issues we still have to resolve," Japan's lead auto negotiator,
Takeo Mori, told reporters after three days of talks with the North
American Free Trade Agreement partners. Negotiators will have to consult
with their capitols before deciding the next steps, including the date of
any future meeting, he said.

The four countries are attempting to reach agreement on rules of origin
determining how much of the value of autos and auto parts has to come from
TPP countries to qualify for duty reductions under the proposed 12-nation
pact.

Efforts to close the overall TPP deal faltered in late July in Maui when
Canada and Mexico objected to a deal worked out by the United States and
Japan that contained a more liberal rule of origin than the 20-year-old
NAFTA agreement.

The United States and Japan met bilaterally on automotive issues on
Wednesday and then expanded the discussion to include Canada and Mexico on
Thursday and today.

The four parties agreed not to discuss the substance of the negotiations
with the press, Mori said, when asked if the final outcome would look more
like the NAFTA rules.
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