' s ▁interest ▁in ▁joining ▁was ▁initially ▁met ▁with ▁concern ▁among ▁T PP ▁negoti ators ▁about ▁its ▁custom s ▁policies . ▁Canada ▁and ▁Mexico ▁formally ▁became ▁T PP ▁negoti ating ▁participants ▁in ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 2 , ▁following ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁domestic ▁consult ation ▁periods ▁of ▁the ▁other ▁nine ▁members . ▁ ▁On ▁ 2 3 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Japan ▁officially ▁joined ▁the ▁T PP ▁negoti ations ▁. ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Brook ings ▁Institution , ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁A be ' s ▁decision ▁to ▁commit ▁Japan ▁to ▁joining ▁the ▁T PP ▁should ▁be ▁understood ▁as ▁a ▁necessary ▁complement ▁to ▁his ▁efforts ▁to ▁stim ulate ▁the ▁Japanese ▁economy ▁with ▁mon et ary ▁eas ing ▁and ▁the ▁related ▁dep reci ation ▁of ▁the ▁Y en . ▁These ▁efforts ▁alone , ▁without ▁the ▁type ▁of ▁economic ▁reform ▁the ▁T PP ▁will ▁lead ▁to , ▁are ▁unlikely ▁to ▁produce ▁long - term ▁improvements ▁in ▁Japan ' s ▁growth ▁prospect s . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁A PE C ▁members ▁proposed , ▁along ▁with ▁setting ▁a ▁possible ▁target ▁for ▁settlement ▁of ▁the ▁T PP ▁by ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁A PE C ▁sum mit , ▁that ▁World ▁Trade ▁Organ ization ▁( W TO ) ▁members ▁set ▁a ▁target ▁for ▁settlement ▁of ▁the ▁D oh a ▁Round ▁mini - package ▁by ▁the ▁nin th ▁W TO ▁minister ial ▁conference ▁( MC 9 ), ▁also ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁around ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁in ▁B ali . ▁ ▁A ▁set