U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman urged Japan to make more concessions over thorny bilateral issues to break the current deadlock in a 12-nation Pacific free trade initiative.
Froman said he looks forward to "bold visions at the negotiating table" on the issues of market access in agricultural produce and autos under the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal.
Froman made the remark after he and TPP Minister Akira Amari failed to make progress in their talks on the U.S.-led trade pact in late September in the U.S. capital due mainly to wide gaps over the issues.