Japan, ASEAN, break trade deadlock

BANDAR SERI BEGWAN, Brunei -- Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have reportedly broken their deadlock over free-trade issues during a meeting in Brunei.

The two sides tentatively agreed Friday to sign a free-trade deal in November, the Kyodo news agency reported Saturday.

Japan and ASEAN ministers have been at odds over what percent of goods should be traded tariff-free.

Japan wants 92 percent of goods traded between Japan and ASEAN to be tariff-free with 7 percent of goods categorized as sensitive or highly sensitive, to have some protection, Kyodo said.

Under the tentative agreement reached Friday, auto goods would be mostly tariff-free while rice is expected to be protected, Kyodo said.

Japan and the 10-member ASEAN have set an August target date to hammer out an agreement that could then be signed during the ASEAN summit in Singapore in November.

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