12/26/06 Getting Doha Restarted

The Bush Administration is pressing for a restart of stalled global trade talks in 2007. But so far - U.S. trade officials admit there's no concrete sign the WTO Doha Round is about to recommence. U.S. Ag Secretary Mike Johanns recently expressed there might be some kind of WTO meeting in January to discuss a resumption of the Doha Round of talks. And that could be important to the round's future - as WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy has said there's only a brief window for getting the Doha Round started again. A window he says will likely close permanently around the end of March. Now - U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab's spokesperson Stephen Norton is even less certain of Doha's prospects. NORTON: What's been going on there is the series of what we call quiet conversations. Ambassador Schwab has been on the road frequently having bilateral discussions with her counterparts from many other countries and in turn some of her counterparts from other countries have been here in Washington. But President Bush has made it clear he's not giving up on the Doha Round. BUSH: I'm very strongly in favor of seeing if we can't reach an accord with our trading partners and other countries around the world to promote, us, to get this round completed so that free trade is universal in it's application. The President says that will not only benefit U.S. producers - but service providers as well. BUSH: Free trade is going to be good for producers of U.S. product and services but free trade is also going to be the most powerful engine for development around the world. It's going to help poor nations become wealthier nations, it's going to enable countries to be able to find markets for their goods and services so that they can better grow their economies and create prosperity for their people. Bush says he's looking forward to working with the new Democrat-controlled Congress. A Congress some trade analysts in Washington already predict will be tougher on U.S. trade deals and may not give Bush the votes he wants - including renewal of Presidential authority to speed deals through Congress without amendments - which expires in July. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.