THE UNITED STATES WILL PUSH TRADING PARTNERS TO MEET ITS DEMANDS FOR ACCESS TO THEIR MARKETS AT MEETINGS THIS WEEK IN EUROPE AIMED AT SALVAGING GLOBAL TRADE TALKS, A TOP U.S. OFFICIAL SAID ON WEDNESDAY, ACCORDING TO REUTERS. MEMBERS OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION HEAD TO GENEVA LATER ON WEDNESDAY FOR DISCUSSIONS WITH WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION CHIEF PASCAL LAMY, WHILE PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH WILL MEET HEADS OF STATE FROM THE GROUP OF SEVEN LEADING INDUSTRIAL NATIONS PLUS RUSSIA AT A WEEKEND SUMMIT IN ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA. WTO MEMBER COUNTRIES ARE MAKING LITTLE HEADWAY IN ATTEMPTS TO NARROW GAPS ON FARM AND INDUSTRIAL TRADE AS A VITAL STEP TO A BROADER PACT. THE FIVE-YEAR OLD ROUND OF TALKS, CALLED THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT ROUND, IS RUNNING OUT OF TIME TO BE CONCLUDED AND MANY TOP TRADE OFFICIALS HAVE WARNED OF A CRISIS. THE UNITED STATES IS RESISTING PRESSURE TO MAKE DEEPER CUTS TO ITS FARM SUBSIDIES THAN THOSE IT PROPOSED IN THE TALKS LAST FALL. WASHINGTON SAYS OTHER COUNTRIES MUST OFFER DEEPER CUTS IN IMPORT DUTIES THAN THEY HAVE SO FAR OFFERED, TO ALLOW SIGNIFICANT ACCESS TO THEIR MARKETS, BEFORE IT WILL CONSIDER REWORKING ITS OWN OFFER. "IN ST PETERSBURG AND IN GENEVA, THE DISCUSSION IS GOING TO START WITH MARKET ACCESS. WHAT'S ENDANGERING THE ROUND RIGHT NOW IS THE FACT THAT WE DON'T HAVE MARKET ACCESS ON THE TABLE. NO ONE IS DISPUTING WE'VE GOT A REAL SUBSIDY PROPOSAL," SAID JASON HAFEMEISTER, THE LEAD U.S. AGRICULTURE NEGOTIATOR. "THE PRESIDENT IS LEAVING TODAY (FOR RUSSIA). THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME FORMAL SESSIONS ON DOHA AND HE IS GOING TO TALK BILATERALLY WITH A LOT OF OTHER COUNTRIES INCLUDING THOSE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN TRADE," HAFEMEISTER TOLD REPORTERS ON THE FRINGES OF A COMMODITIES CONFERENCE. BREAKTHROUGH NEEDED AFTER A MEETING OF WTO MINISTERS LAST MONTH BROKE UP WITHOUT CONSENSUS, LAMY WAS ASKED TO ACT AS BROKER TO TRY TO REACH A DEAL. HAFEMEISTER SAID HE AND U.S. CHIEF AGRICULTURE NEGOTIATOR RICHARD CROWDER WOULD HEAD TO GENEVA LATER ON WEDNESDAY TO MEET LAMY AND DISCUSS WHAT TO DO NEXT. SINCE THE WTO JUNE MEETING, PRESIDENT BUSH AND BRITISH PRIME MINISTER TONY BLAIR HAVE SAID THAT DOHA WILL BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES RUNNING THROUGHOUT THE RUSSIA G8 SUMMIT. "AN AGREEMENT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR US AS A COUNTRY AND FOR OUR (AGRICULTURAL) ECONOMY, BUT IT'S IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IN TERMS OF MEETING OUR CURRENT DEADLINES. WE'VE GOT TO GET SOMETHING DONE BY THE SUMMER IF WE'RE REALLY GOING TO HAVE THE BREAKTHROUGH NEEDED TO GET THE DEAL DONE THIS YEAR," HAFEMEISTER SAID. THE DOHA DEVELOPMENT ROUND WAS LAUNCHED IN 2001 WITH THE AIM OF BOOSTING GLOBAL GROWTH AND LIFTING MILLIONS OUT OF POVERTY. THE TALKS PIT THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE UNITED STATES AGAINST EACH OTHER AND AGAINST LEADING DEVELOPING STATES SUCH AS BRAZIL AND INDIA. POORER NATIONS HAVE LONG INSISTED THAT RICHER COUNTRIES MUST OPEN THEIR FARM MARKETS BEFORE THEY WILL OPEN THEIR INDUSTRIAL AND SERVICES MARKETS. WASHINGTON AND BRUSSELS EACH INSIST THAT THE OTHER MUST COMMIT TO GREATER FARM TRADE REFORM IN ORDER TO GET THE G20 GROUP OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TO MOVE. HAFEMEISTER SAID THE EUROPEAN UNION COULD HELP MOVE THINGS ALONG BY OFFERING A DETAILED NEW OFFER ON TARIFF REDUCTIONS INSTEAD OF JUST HINTING AT ONE THAT GOES BEYOND ITS CURRENT PROPOSAL FOR AN AVERAGE 39-PERCENT CUT. "SO FAR THOSE GUYS HAVE BEEN ALL HAT AND NO CATTLE. THEY'VE TALKED ABOUT COMING CLOSE TO THE G20 (PROPOSAL FOR A 54-PERCENT TARIFF CUT) BUT THEY'VE SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE EXACT COMPOSITION OF THIS OFFER," HAFEMEISTER SAID. "A 50-PERCENT CUT IS A GOOD STARTING POINT. WE REALLY NEED TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT."
