Uncertainty engulfs US trade policy

From the corridors of power in Washington this week it will be possible to look out at a transient moment of simple beauty as 3,700 cherry blossom trees donated to the city by Tokyo flower for a mere seven days.

Before the petals flutter to the ground it should be clear if efforts under way inside the Capitol building to craft a bipartisan international economic agenda will be similarly short-lived.

The Bush administration has until Saturday under the president