Japan will host an international symposium aimed at jump-starting the stalled negotiations on forging a tariff-cutting agreement for environmental goods involving 46 members of the World Trade Organization, sources said. The event is set for Aug. 29 in Beijing, Reuters reported. The participating nations and regions, including Japan, the United States, China and the European Union, aim to reduce or eliminate tariffs on environmentally friendly products such as solar panels and energy-efficient appliances. The parties failed to reach an accord in a ministerial session last December. While industries across the world believe the agreement will be good for business, it is unclear when the negotiations will restart. The members launched the talks in 2014, originally aiming to strike an accord within 2016. At the symposium, to be sponsored by the ministry of economy, trade and industry and supported by US and Chinese groups, a renowned Chinese WTO expert will give a keynote speech, and a debate will be held among representatives of companies from major nations, the sources said.
