A planned meeting of Trans-Pacific Partnership countries was unexpectedly cancelled Friday after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau skipped the event when bilateral talks with his Japanese counterpart ended in disagreement. A spokesperson for the prime minister said there is simply no consensus between the 11 member countries at this time. Trade negotiations have now returned to the ministerial level with International Trade Minister François-Philippe Champagne currently in negotiations to resolve some sticking points. Freeland said disagreements are not unexpected during tense trade talks. Japan has previously opposed special treatment for culture during the initial TPP talks.

Source: CBC News November 10, 2017 02:15 UTC