Japan, Mexico start FTA talks

Japan, Mexico start FTA talks

TOKYO: Japan and Mexico began five days of working-level talks here on Monday on concluding a free trade agreement (FTA), with negotiations focused on non-farm sectors, a foreign ministry official said.

The talks come hard on the heels of a two-day vice-ministerial meeting which ended on Friday without bridging the gap over trade in orange juice, oranges, pork, chicken and beef.

The foreign ministry official noted on Monday that the two countries are not only talking about agricultural products.

"We also have to negotiate on industrial goods, the services sector, investment, governmental procurement and other items that were not discussed at the last vice-ministerial talks," he said.

The two countries are now trying to prepare a draft text of the agreement in these non-farm sectors, he added. The meetings follow a recent proposal by Mexican Economy Secretary Fernando Canales to set a deadline of the end of March to reach agreement.

The two countries remain divided particularly over Japanese tariffs on Mexican pork and orange juice after failing to conclude the FTA talks during the visit to Tokyo by Mexican President Vicente Fox last October. -- AFP