<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=""><o:p class=""> </o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class=""><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/us-japan-talks-fail-to-close-gap-on-farm-auto-trade/2015/04/20/123fc5ae-e7bc-11e4-8581-633c536add4b_story.html" style="color: purple;" class="">http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/us-japan-talks-fail-to-close-gap-on-farm-auto-trade/2015/04/20/123fc5ae-e7bc-11e4-8581-633c536add4b_story.html</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;" class=""><b class=""><span style="font-size: 24pt; font-family: HelveticaNeue; color: rgb(42, 42, 42);" class="">US, Japan say no deal on farm, auto trade but end in sight<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 Washington Post<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">By Elaine Kurtenbach, Associated Press<o:p class=""></o:p></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 11pt; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;" class="">April 21, 2015<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><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">TOKYO — U.S. and Japanese trade officials failed to resolve differences on autos and farm exports that are hindering progress toward a Pacific Rim trade deal but say they believe agreement is within reach.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman and Japan’s economy minister, Akira Amari, held talks that dragged into the pre-dawn hours but were unable to reach an accord on increased exports of U.S. rice to Japan and of Japanese autos and auto parts to the U.S.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">“The gap was substantially narrowed but continued work is ultimately required to resolve these issues,” Froman told reporters.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">The talks between Japan and the U.S. are part of negotiations among 12 nations participating in the U.S.-led Trans Pacific Partnership, which eventually aims to create a free trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">Amari said the talks were in their final stages. However neither official gave details on the discussions, which have been kept largely secret.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">In New York, Daniel Russell, assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, told a gathering at the Council on Foreign Relations late Monday that a final 12-nation accord is within reach.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">“We are within what I’d call grabbing distance of an agreement,” Russell said in remarks carried on Japan’s public broadcaster, NHK. “Every leader of the 12 countries is determined to close an agreement this year.”<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">Froman traveled to Japan on Sunday for the talks after Amari said he believed the two could make progress on issues requiring Cabinet-level decisions, though he downplayed the likelihood of a deal before Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visits the U.S. next week.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">Amari has said some of the remaining issues between Japan and the U.S. are likely to be resolved at 12-nation talks in June.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">An agreement by U.S. lawmakers last week to propose legislation allowing President Barack Obama to negotiate trade accords for overall congressional review appears to be helping move things along.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">At the outset of the TPP talks, Japan identified five categories of agricultural products as “sensitive,” given its longstanding protections for politically powerful farm interests. They include beef and pork, wheat and barley, sugar, rice and dairy products.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">Rice has proven an especially difficult area for compromise.<o:p class=""></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-right: 0in; margin-left: 0in; font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; margin-bottom: 15pt; widows: 1;" class=""><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: Georgia, serif; color: rgb(17, 17, 17);" class="">An aging population and changing tastes mean Japan is consuming less and less rice, and has a significant surplus of its own.<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>