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Deal Leaves Issues Unresolved

A draft agreement under discussion Saturday by trade negotiators at WTO talks calls for the elimination of farm export subsidies by 2010 and leaves many other issues unresolved or diluted. However, the draft text showed progress on the issue of granting duty-free and quota-free access for goods from the world`s poorest countries, suggesting that all developed nations would agree to the proposal.

With just one day left to reach a consensus on a final agreement, the statement set no date for establishing a precise formula for cutting tariffs and subsidies on agricultural and industrial trade. It also suggested no date for completion of negotiations on service industries.

The issue of farm subsidies has also been a bone of contention between EU leaders trying to reach a deal on a budget with a similar time table to the WTO talks. France is a fierce opponent of cutting down on subsidies, and has demanded that any cut in subsidies be met with a reciprocal cut in the rebate that Britain receives for monies pumped into the EU.