Japan closer to joining Pacific trade

Japan will take another step closer to joining Pacific-wide free trade negotiations with a highly symbolic appearance at a meeting of the TPP nations tomorrow.

Prime Minister John Key said Japan was expected to show up for the meeting which is being held by the leaders of the nine-nation grouping to take advantage of them all being in the one place for the annual Apec summit.

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has caused a storm in Japan by indicating his Government wants to dismantle the country's high trade barriers, most notably those on food imports.

Any decision on Japan joining talks between members of the TPP or - to give its full name, the Trans Pacific Partnership - is not expected until next June.

However, Kan's presence at tomorrow's meeting would suggest that Japan is serious about signing up to a potentially significant free trade pact.

His going would also further alienate Japanese farmers even though they are likely to get income subsidies to make up for loss of revenue by the opening up of markets for commodities like rice and cheese.

The political sensitivity surrounding Kan's presence is apparently why American officials have banned television cameras from covering the arrival of the leaders at the meeting - a move which has annoyed other delegations who signed up to the TPP long before the United States.