Obama, Abe declare progress, but no breakthrough, on trade

AZ Central: WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday the challenge he faces winning congressional support for a major Asia-Pacific trade deal that has become a cornerstone of his second term agenda. "It's never fun passing a trade bill in this town," the president said as he and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared their determination to seeing the deal through.

Both Obama and Abe face domestic pressures on trade that have not only created sticking points between Japan and the U.S., but have also complicated Obama's ability to win support for a broader 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement.

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