LE SMOOT:

Trade talks down to the wire (Japan Times, 11/18/05)

While attention is focused on this week's meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in Pusan, South Korea, the main event is the World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting to be held next month in Hong Kong. That ministerial meeting is critical to the success of the current round of global trade negotiations. Unfortunately, the talks have stalemated, and the culprit appears to be the European Union -- France in particular. A breakdown would be a dangerous setback to the prospects of many of the world's poorest citizens. Resistance to agriculture market liberalization must be overcome.

Then why not bounce France from the talks?

Posted by Orrin Judd at November 17, 2005 8:01 PM