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Progress is being made on the four issues, according to Mitsuru Myochin, who works at the Japanese cabinet’s headquarters for the CPTPP. He confirmed this week that Canadian officials have been in touch with their counterparts to discuss a way forward on cultural protections. Malaysia, Brunei and Vietnam are also seeking remedies on state-owned enterprise, services and investment non-conforming measures and labour dispute settlement, respectively. Myochin said in an email Thursday evening that delegations from all 11 countries have confirmed their attendance next week.

Although it is not named as one of the outstanding issues to be resolved, with trade ministers having agreed not to touch market access issues, Pickerill said Canada is also still seeking “better access and terms for autos.”

“Our priority is to ensure that it is the right deal for Canadian workers and businesses. We must be strategic,” he said in an email Friday. “Success will be determined over decades and while that may take a little longer to lock-in now, we are committed to being constructive, expeditious and ambitious towards that aim.”

Nonetheless, ministers had agreed in November to bring the CPTPP into force “expeditiously” and with Australia and Japan gunning for a speedy conclusion, some have suggested the group may not wait for Canada. Because negotiators have not met in person since the APEC kerfuffle, a lot is riding on next week’s meetings.

The CPTPP framework includes a chapter on accession, so Canada could conceivably wait to join the agreement if it wanted to, though it would have to agree to whatever terms the other 10 countries decide upon. Once the CPTPP is finalized and signed, each country must legislate to ratify it, and once at least six have done so, the agreement will enter into force among them.

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