Japan’s House of Representatives will vote on a bill to ratify the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact Friday after the ruling and opposition camp agreed on the schedule Tuesday, lawmakers said.
The bill is expected to pass the lower house by a majority vote and be sent to the House of Councillors. The upper house would begin deliberating the measure next Monday, according to the lawmakers.
The main opposition Democratic Party agreed Tuesday to a proposal by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party to put the bill to a vote at a lower ad hoc house committee Wednesday and the chamber’s plenary session Friday, they said.
The lower house began deliberations on the bill last month, with the administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe racing to get the U.S.-led deal approved before the current extraordinary parliamentary session ends on Nov. 30.
Japan, the United States and 10 other Pacific Rim countries inked the pact in February.
