Japan and the United States on Tuesday confirmed their cooperation toward concluding the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations by the end of this year, according to local media.

After a meeting with visiting US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso said that they confirmed that the two countries will work together to finish the free trade talks by yearend, reported Japan's Kyodo News.

Aso called on the US side to dispel uncertainties over its fiscal issues, adding that the US political impasse on its budget talks significantly rattled global financial markets last month.

Akira Amari, Japan's minister in charge of the TPP talk, also met Lew in a separate meeting and conveyed the message that trade in rice and certain other key farm products is red lines that is extremely sensitive for Japan.

However, the United States did not share Japan's view on the key products in the free trade talks, Kyodo quoted Amari as saying.

The TPP calls for getting rid of all tariffs, while Japan seeks to retain tariffs it imposes on imports of rice, wheat, beef and some other products to protect its agriculture.

Countries involving in the free trade talks are expected to hold a chief negotiators'meeting in US Salt Lake City and also expected to conclude a deal at a TPP ministerial meeting next month in Singapore.

The TPP groups 12 countries, namely Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, the United States, Australia, Peru, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, Canada and Japan.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also met with Lew, who is on his first visit to Japan since taking the post in February.

Lew will pay a visit to Singapore on Wednesday on the second leg of his five-nation Asian tour that will also take him to Malaysia, Vietnam and China, said Kyodo.