TRADE-TPP/JAPAN Japan's Amari says TPP member nations clash over intellectual property issue

Record ID: 145478

  • Title: TRADE-TPP/JAPAN Japan's Amari says TPP member nations clash over intellectual property issue
  • Date: 1st August 2015
  • Summary: MAUI, HAWAII, UNITED STATES (JULY 31, 2015) (REUTERS) **** WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **** JAPANESE ECONOMY MINISTER, AKIRA AMARI, ENTERING CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE ECONOMY MINISTER, AKIRA AMARI, SAYING: "The participating nations interests were at odds over the issue intellectual property and could not complete negotiations to come to a deal
  • Embargoed: 16th August 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA70A61F1N4ITEG4XIT1NPQLIHB
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Japanese Economy Minister Akira Amari said on Friday (July 31) each nation's interests clashed over an intellectual property issue and they could not reach a Pacific Rim trade deal.
    "The participating nations interests were at odds over the issue intellectual property and could not complete negotiations to come to a deal," Amari said in a separate news conference following the joint news conference a few hours before.
    He also said trade ministers from the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks share a view that they will continue to make efforts toward an early agreement.
    "The participating nations share the belief that they will continue to work towards an agreement soon," said Amari.
    "I feel that with one more meeting of the ministers we will be able to come to a conclusion on the talks," he added.
    Amari said that TPP member nations could reach a deal if they meet one more time, and his understanding was that the ministers aim to get together again by the end of August.
    "It is my understanding that the ministers will meet again at the end of August," Amari said.
    Asked on whether the negotiations could be concluded at the next, next meeting if August didn't move ahead smoothly, Amari remarked that much time passing could make a conclusion harder to achieve.
    "If at the next meeting of the ministers if we are unable to work out unresolved issues, well that could make it difficult to conclude talks," Amari said.
    Amari made the comments at a separate news conference after the ministers failed to reach a TPP deal in Hawaii.
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