MANILA -- Countries negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership trade agreement are poised to miss a 2017 deadline to reach a deal, forcing them to settle for "realistic ambitions."
Ministers from the 16 RCEP countries ended an all-day meeting on Sunday without a major breakthrough in the talks that began in 2013. They instead tempered their expectations and identified "key elements" to move negotiations forward and reach a "substantial conclusion," said Philippine Secretary of Trade and Industry Ramon Lopez, who chaired the meetings.
