<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://thehill.com/policy/international/239398-japan-says-trade-talks-with-us-are-close-to-deal" style="color: purple;" class="">http://thehill.com/policy/international/239398-japan-says-trade-talks-with-us-are-close-to-deal</a><o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; background-color: white;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 29.5pt; font-family: proxima-nova;" class="">Japan says trade talks with US are close to deal<o:p class=""></o:p></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">The Hill<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">By Vicki Needham<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">April 20, 2015<o:p class=""></o:p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that Tokyo and Washington are closing in on a deal to complete a major Asia-Latin America trade pact. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Abe is optimistic that progress by U.S. and Japanese negotiators over the weekend could lead to a final bilateral agreement between the two nations during his upcoming meetings with President Obama in Washington. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; background-color: white;" class="">“It would be good if I could reach an agreement during my meeting with the president, but when you climb a mountain, the last step is always the hardest,” Abe told <i class="">The</i> <i class="">Wall Street Journal</i> in an interview. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;" class=""><o:p class=""></o:p></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Abe said he and Obama must play a leadership role to wrap a deal and “ultimately, what needs to happen is for both countries to make a political decision” to tackle difficult remaining issues. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">A U.S.-Japan bilateral agreement is a major step toward completing the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">“We think that an agreement between Japan and the U.S. is close, but we’re hoping that even more progress will be made,” Abe said. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">The United States and Japan have been working furiously to reach an agreement that would open up Tokyo’s agriculture and auto markets.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">The efforts have stepped up ahead of Abe’s trip to the United States next week.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">The talks got a boost last week, when lawmakers introduced “fast-track” legislation. Japanese trade officials have said that, without fast track, or trade promotion authority (TPA), there will be no TPP deal. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman flew to Tokyo on Saturday to lend his support to the effort. On Sunday, he said, “We had a good, initial set of discussions tonight of the outstanding issues, and we laid out a path forward tomorrow for continuing those discussions.” <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Akira Amari, Japan’s chief negotiator, said Monday before talks continued that “the negotiations are now in the most crucial stage.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Abe's trip, which runs from April 26 to May 3, includes an address to a joint session of Congress on April 29 and a state dinner at the White House. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">The president has argued that the TPP will boost the U.S. economy and strengthen ties with a major Pacific ally. <o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Abe has made similar statements, arguing that the TPP is a top priority in his agenda to kick-start the long-stalled Japanese economy, the world's third largest.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">“The jobs market is tight, and wages are rising the most in 15 years,” he said.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 11.25pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; line-height: 13.5pt; background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" class="">Besides the United States and Japan, the talks include Canada, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div></body></html>