Despite strong support, no timeline for Asia trade pact

The ambitious 12-nation free trade agreement will still take a period of time to resolve the most difficult issues

There was strong support among international leaders to reach a deal on an Asia-Pacific trade pact called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in coming months, but no timeline has been set, a senior US official said on Monday.

After talks on the ambitious 12-nation free trade agreement conclude in Beijing, it will still take a period of time to resolve the most difficult issues, the official added.

"This is not an agreement that is about to get signed," the official said of the Washington-backed deal. "This will take a period of time to finish off some of the difficult issues and to have a full discussion domestically in the United States and elsewhere."