Tokyo, KL continue free trade talks

Tokyo, KL continue free trade talks

TOKYO: Japan and Malaysia on Thursday began three days of
talks in a sixth round of negotiations on a free trade agreement
(FTA).

"We are hoping to reach an agreement by the end of this year
but we still have to narrow differences over automobile exports
and Malaysian plywood imports," an official with the Japanese
trade ministry said.

Tokyo is expected to press Kuala Lumpur to abolish tariffs and
regulations on Japanese car exports.

Malaysia, for its part, will ask Japan to scrap tariffs on
plywood and other products such as leather goods and shoes during
the sixth round of FTA negotiations, the official said. -- AFP