TOKYO -- After failing to meet an earlier target to sign a deal by November 2018, the 16 member nations of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership will meet as early as next month with a new goal of reaching an agreement on the pan-Asian trade accord this fall.
Whether that becomes a reality hinges on India, negotiators say. With national elections to be held by May, leaders of the South Asian nation are hesitant to eliminate tariffs which may lead to an influx of Chinese goods, causing its trade deficit to balloon.
