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African Trade Ministers have declared that the WTO modalities on agriculture and non-agricultural market access (NAMA) that are scheduled to be concluded at the end of April must be 'all-inclusive' and indicated that they would not accept 'partial modalities' that leave out issues of concern to African countries.

Links for 'reference papers' from the Chair of the Agriculture Negotiations, Amb. Falconer, which will be discussed in the current agriculture week.

Aid and advocacy groups from around the world on Tuesday called on WTO chief Pascal Lamy to cancel a major trade meeting scheduled for the end of this month, saying many poor countries are being excluded from talks.

Shortly before Arthur Dunkel, the world's top trade official for more than a decade, died last June, soon-to-be World Trade Organization chief Pascal Lamy went to visit him. Mr. Lamy wanted to ask about the nuclear option of world-trade diplomacy, known as a 'Dunkel draft.'

Aid and campaign groups from around the world on Tuesday called on WTO chief Pascal Lamy to cancel a major trade meeting scheduled for the end of this month, saying many poor countries are being excluded from talks.

President George W. Bush on Tuesday will announce U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman as his choice to become White House budget director, a senior administration official said.

The departure by U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman to become director of the Office of Management and Budget and the nomination of Deputy USTR Susan Schwab as the next USTR signals that trade has become a diminishing priority for the Bush Administration, according to several sources.

An anticipated meeting of trade ministers in Geneva at the end of April aimed at pushing forward a deal for the Doha Round talks on agriculture and nonagricultural market access looks more doubtful as chances for securing a final agreement on 'modalities' in the two sectors fade, according to officials contacted by BNA April 11 and 12.

Links to the 'reference papers' submitted by the Chair of the Agriculture negotiations, Ambassador Falconer, to the WTO membership on Wednesday 11 April.

Governor John Baldacci wants to carve Maine out of current international negotiations that would open up the service sector of the economy to international trade. The Governor says the federal government has been deaf to sovereignty concerns raised by the states, and as Jeanne Baron reports, he's pushing to leave Maine out of the deal.