New Zealand's agricultural trade envoy says the move by Japan to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement will seriously delay progress at the trade talks.
Officially, New Zealand welcomed Japan's expression of interest in joining the TPP negotiations last week, with acting Trade Minister Steven Joyce saying it's consistent with the partnership being a broad platform for regional economic integration.
But others aren't quite so happy - believing Japan's emotional trade baggage will act as a handbrake on the speed of negotiations.
Envoy Alistair Polson says it's hard to know whether you should look at Japan trying to join as a glass half-full or half-empty.
"You can't bring on an economy that big and with issues as complex around the sensitive agricultural pursuits they have without slowing the negotiations down.
"By the same token we now have the first and the third biggest economies in the world in the deal and that makes it very attractive for lots of exporters."
He says while many countries have one industry they really want to protect through trade barriers, Japan has many, and he believes any chance of a deal being completed this year has probably gone.
The free trade deal is being negotiated by 11 countries including New Zealand, the United States and Australia. Japan wants to be the 12th nation in the talks.
