A business expert is picking the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will be in place sooner rather than later, with or without the US involved.
Catherine Beard, executive director of ExportNZ, said Japan's recent hiking of tariffs on frozen meat is nothing to be worried about because signoff on the TPP isn't far away.
The TPP would bring Japan's 50 percent tariff down to 9 percent.
"I think that the aim is for the TPP countries to all have something to present by the end of the year."
The remaining 11 TPP countries have also agreed to let the US back into the deal if it changes its mind. The US pulled out with the election of Donald Trump.
"The idea of pushing ahead without them is not to say, hey we can do it without you, so much as hey, we've got to get this done for everybody," said Ms Beard.
Newshub.
