TPP deal has not sunk yet: Core elements of deal agreed, more work to be done

It seems the TPP trade deal is not sunk yet.

Trade ministers blindsided by Canada's sudden and unexplained opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership have begun talks to try and salvage the 11-nation deal.

Reuters is reporting this morning that the 11 nations working on the new version of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade pact have agreed to the core elements of a deal but more work needs to be done.

Reuters said a statement was due to be made today, and it marked "a successful conclusion to talks in Vietnam", which at one stage had looked headed for failure amid resistance by Canada.

Reuters said Japanese Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said on Friday that countries including Canada had now agreed on a plan to move ahead with the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal.

Last night, the future of TPP had been thrown into doubt after Canada's sudden refusal to attend the final leaders' meeting in Danang, Vietnam, which was then cancelled.

The 10 other leaders including Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern turned up expecting Canada to be present at 8pm NZ time.

Instead they found Japan's Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, holding crisis meetings with Canada's Justin Trudeau over an undisclosed issue.

Abe returned to the room saying Trudeau was not attending and so the meeting was abandoned by the other countries, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia, Chile, Peru, Mexico and Vietnam.

It has been reported the no-show was a scheduling misunderstanding.

Last night, Ardern told New Zealand reporters that talks had been "postponed" and there was no suggestion of when they would reconvene.

She said she was left with the impression that Canada had withdrawn from the negotiations.

The dramas over Canada are not related to the bizarre events of last night in which the TPP deal was declared done by trade ministers, including Canada's Trade Minister, but Vietnam then objected to a particular issue.

That issue was resolved during the day before the aborted leaders' meeting.