来自美国、加拿大、澳大利亚、新西兰、日本、智利、新加坡、越南等国的代表过去几天来在美国的亚特兰大就跨太平洋贸易伙伴协定进行了进一步的磋商。
各国之间存在的分歧包括美国方面希望能够对一些新研发出的药物实行一定时期的知识产权保护，但是其他参与协商的国家希望这一时期不要那么长。新西兰方面则希望其奶制品能够更容易进入加拿大市场；美国和日本之间在汽车贸易方面也还存在着分歧，如此等等。
上述各类问题的解决有可能会因为不只一个国家的大选即将来临而变得更为复杂和艰难，因为各国国内的一些选民担心贸易幅度的加大将意味着工作机会的流失。
The United States, Japan, Canada, Vietnam and eight other nations have been working on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership for years, and were hoping to wrap up an agreement during this week's negotiations in Atlanta.
The issues include Washington's push to extend patent protection on a promising new class of drugs for longer than other nations want. Other disputes include dairy exporter New Zealand seeking greater access to Canada's dairy market, and squabbles between the United States and Japan over auto industry trade.
Resolving these and other disputes is made more difficult by pending elections in several key nations, where some workers and farmers worry that increased trade will mean decreased employment. Many businesses support expanded trade as a way to open new markets to exports.
