What appear to be the main remaining bones of contention are varied and tricky.
Canada, where an election has just been called for October, does not want to open up its market for dairy products—a priority for New Zealand, one of TPP’s originators a decade ago.
Liberalising Japan’s agricultural market, notably for rice, remains acutely sensitive politically.
Mexico objects to the amount of content from countries not in the TPP that Japan wants allowed into its exports of lorries.
America protects its sugar producers. And it wants its pharmaceutical firms to enjoy 12 years of patent protection on new biologic drugs, which most of the other 11 countries find several years too long.