Japan said on Wednesday progress was being made on forging a free-trade deal with Mexico, raising hopes that working-level talks over the next week will lead to the sealing of a pact that floundered last year over farm trade.
Trade Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said this week that informal talks prior to the start of the meetings suggested the sides may be closer to agreement over sticky issues such as orange juice and pork that helped sink negotiations in October.
That view was echoed by Japanese officials after the first session on Wednesday. "I believe we are making step-by-step progress on all sectors," a trade ministry official said.
Working-level talks are expected to last until March 5, and there is a "high probability" of vice-ministerial negotiations, the official added.
Should a deal be reached, it would be the second free trade agreement for Japan, which already has a pact with Singapore.
The main stumbling block for the talks has been Mexico's demand for a removal of tariffs on pork, one of its main exports to Japan. Tokyo has rejected this to protect its pig farmers.
Negotiation sources were quoted by Kyodo news agency as saying that progress had been made on four of the five agricultural products at issue, with Mexico welcoming fresh Japanese proposals to set up low-tariff import quotas.
The four products are orange juice, oranges, beef and chicken, Kyodo added.
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