U.S. and Japanese officials have wrapped up a round of talks aimed at reducing trade barriers but differences remain over autos, insurance and other industries. The three-day talks that ended Friday were linked to the bigger Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, also held in Tokyo, according to AP. Japan entered negotiations for the regional free trade pact involving 12 countries on July 23. Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler told reporters the "lack of a level playing field" in Japan's insurance industry is among the contentious issues. She said the U.S. believes that Japanese government-backed insurance services are at an advantage over private and foreign companies. Cutler said non-tariff barriers for U.S. autos in Japan are another problem. Japanese cars are popular in the U.S., but American car sales are negligible in Japan.
