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