The United States has approved Japan's entry into negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a critical step for Tokyo's inclusion in a regional trade pact that underpins the efforts of President Barack Obama's Administration to boost exports to Asia.
Acting US Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said the United States and Japan had agreed on robust actions in the car and insurance sectors, as well as other non-tariff measures.
But they will need to hold further negotiations in parallel with the TPP talks to iron out their differences.
Japan's admission into the TPP negotiations still requires approval from the other 10 nations involved, and "the completion of our respective domestic processes", the statement said.
US lawmakers quickly insisted that Japan lift barriers to US exports. Michigan Republican Representative Dave Camp, chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, said he would not endorse Japan's participation without assurances it would not diminish the scope of the negotiations or delay the goal of concluding the negotiations this year, already viewed as a tough deadline.
Provided the other nations endorse Japan's participation, Saturday's announcement could pave the way for it to join the next round of TPP negotiations in July.
The pact aims to reduce duties on a wide range of goods and services and ease regulatory and other non-tariff barriers to trade.
Marantis said Japan's entry would help promote the pact as "the most promising pathway to achieving a free-trade area in the Asia-Pacific".
Japan is the world's third-largest economy, and the US aside, its GDP exceeds the combined total of the other participating nations - New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Mexico, Vietnam, Chile, Brunei, Singapore and Peru.
- AP
By Adam Bennett Email Adam