Atlanta, Dhu-AlHijjah 21, 1436, Oct 5, 2015, SPA -- An agreement on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) was reached Monday after long negotiating sessions in Atlanta over the weekend. "We think it helps define the rules of the road for the Asia-Pacific region," said U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman. The TPP is designed to encourage trade between the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Australia, and New Zealand. President Barack Obama said the TPP "levels the playing field for our farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers by eliminating more than 18,000 taxes that various countries put on our products." Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe welcomed the agreement as "a farsighted policy for all participating countries that share the values and try to build a free and fair economic zone." --SPA 19:15 LOCAL TIME 16:15 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w