Though the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) faces obstacles in timing during an election year and obstacles in Japan, agriculture groups say they reamin optimistic in the passage of the agreement.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement is a regional trade pact that includes the United States, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. For the U.S. pork industry, the TPP negotiations are the best opportunity to remove many barriers to trade and eliminate import duties in the participating countries.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the TPP will increase ag incomes, and he is hopeful ...