(Adds quotes on biologics from Japanese minister, quotes from
Mexican minister, changes lead and headline, adds background on
dairy)
ATLANTA, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Pacific trade ministers are
optimistic of closing a sweeping Pacific Rim trade deal after
progress on Friday on hurdles involving autos, dairy products
and intellectual property protections for expensive biologic
drugs.
Ministers represented in the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP)
talks in Atlanta met for 20 minutes before breaking for
negotiators to resume work on specific issues, work that Japan's
Economy Minister Akira Amari said on Friday would likely go on
all night.
The United States and Australia are locked in intense
negotiations over the length of time pharmaceutical companies
have exclusive rights to produce and market next-generation
medicines.
Australia is one of a group of half a dozen countries
resisting a U.S. push to set a standard of eight years
protection and see five years as a red line.
Amari said talks on the issue of biologic drugs "were
centered on the United States and Australia" and that
negotiators were "putting their heads together" to try to find
an agreement.
On the third day of talks, major progress had been made on
another key sticking point, the auto trade involving Japan,
Canada, the United States and Mexico, Amari said, noting
countries were "one step away from completion".
He said that Mexico, Canada and Japan had neared terms of a
deal on increased dairy market access and that the remaining
issues involved New Zealand and the United States.
WRAPPED UP BY SATURDAY?
New Zealand, which has 17 percent of global dairy trade,
making it the largest exporter, has been pushing for improved
access for its exports as part of the TPP.
But the United States is unwilling to allow in more imports
unless its farmers in turn secure better access for exports in
Canada and Japan.
"I think the remaining issues are between New Zealand and
the United States," Amari said of the talks involving dairy
trade.
Negotiators hope to wrap up Trans-Pacific Partnership talks
by Saturday when a joint news conference by all 12 ministers has
been scheduled.
Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo joked that he
was confident enough to bet money on wrapping up the deal, which
would establish a free trade zone covering 40 percent of the
world economy, on Saturday.
"I think that the dynamics are very positive," he told
reporters.