TPP talks may not meet year-end deadline: Malaysian PM

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said on Sunday that the negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement might not be able to be completed by the year-end deadline.

Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Najib said the negotiations may take longer time than expected.

He said the leaders of the TPP members will meet at the sideline of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Bali to discuss the timetable.

The comprehensive trade agreement is widely considered as an important part of the "Pivot towards Asia" by the U.S. government of President Barack Obama. The cancellation of Obama's Asia tour due to government shutdown makes the prospect of concluding the talks by the end of the year now seems even dimmer as 12 TPP members are embarking on more tough issues.