Top trade officials from 16 Asia-Pacific countries have agreed to aim for a deal on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, by the end of this year.
In a joint statement released on Sunday after a meeting in Tokyo, the representatives agreed to speed up negotiations on outstanding issues.
They said achieving a trade pact is particularly important in view of the current global trade environment, which faces risks from unilateral trade actions and reactions.
The proposed deal covers 30 percent of global trade.
The participating countries include South Korea, China, Japan and ten ASEAN member nations.