Trade Minister Tim Groser says there has been further progress at a meeting in Cambodia on a free-trade agreement involving the major Asia-Pacific economies.
Mr Groser says trade ministers from 16 countries, including China and India, have agreed to recommend a regional economic partnership for consideration by their leaders at a meeting in November.
He says the recommendation is just the first step in complex arrangements that will take some time to come to fruition.
The ministers have been exploring the idea of a European Union-style grouping in East Asia for several years.
