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U.S. Trade Rep: Doha Agreement Is Top Priority

Susan Schwab says progress has been made in the areas of agriculture and manufacturing, and she believes a world trade agreement could be reached before Bush leaves office.

SINGAPORE (AP) — The top U.S. trade envoy said Monday the United States is determined to achieve a successful conclusion to the troubled Doha round of world trade talks.
 
''The United States has played a leadership role from Day 1 at Doha, and we will continue to show flexibility and the determination to get the deal done,'' said U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Singapore.
 
Schwab said progress has been made in the areas of agriculture and manufacturing, and that she believed an agreement could be reached before U.S. President George W. Bush leaves office and during the current U.S. Congress.
 
''There's every reason to expect that this could happen under the current administration,'' she said.
 
The talks have repeatedly stalled since their inception in Qatar's capital in 2001, largely because of wrangling between rich and poor nations over eliminating farm subsidies and, more recently, barriers to manufacturing trade.
 
''We've been moving in the right direction ... unfortunately with some exceptions, some countries, that aren't inclined to make a contribution commensurate with their level of development,'' Schwab said, without being specific.
 
The U.S. and European Union have been increasingly vocal in recent weeks in their criticism of Brazil, India, South Africa and others for refusing to compromise. Washington and Brussels say six years of negotiations could collapse without a breakthrough in the coming months.
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