THE LAST HURDLE BEFORE THE TPP GETS APPROVAL FOR THE FINAL RESOLUTION IS HELD BACK 24 HOURS AS DRUG PATENTS, DAIRY TARIFFS, AND MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY THE LAST ISSUES BEFORE FINALIZATION CAN OCCUR FROM THE 12 MEMBERS OF THE USA, JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, CHILE, MALAYSIA, NEW ZEALAND, PERU, SINGAPORE, VIETNAM, BRUNIE, AND MEXICO

12 member countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact have been struggling to reach an agreement. US delegates proposed extending negotiations by 24 hours and Japan accepted.
Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Akira Amari told reporters that he discussed the extension with US trade representative Michael Froman.
Amari said he told Froman that Japan would accept the US proposal on two conditions.
He said that US first must make a final resolution on drug patents and other contentious issues, and this must be the last extension, insisting that Japan will not accept any further delays because of its own political schedule.
Amari told reporters that other member countries would also accept the US proposal.
Unsettled issues include tariffs on dairy products and the patent protection period for drugs developed using biotechnology.

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