WTO Head to Meet U.S. Trade Officials

Pascal Lamy, director general of the World Trade Organization, arrived in Washington for two days of meetings with Obama administration officials and members of Congress. Their discussions, scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, will help the WTO measure how strong a role the United States will play this year in concluding the long-delayed Doha Round of trade talks.

"At the moment, he's not too clear on what they want from the Doha round and he wants a bit of clarity as to their intentions," a spokesman for Lamy told the press. For the first time since 1982, world trade is expected to decline in 2009.

Lamy has said a quick conclusion to the nearly seven-year-old Doha trade talks would boost economic growth and provide an "insurance policy" against future protectionism by ratcheting down the maximum tariff and subsidy levels that are now permissible under WTO rules.

Lamy was scheduled to meet on Monday with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who was confirmed by the Senate last week. Last Thursday Kirk met with European Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton, after which both officials pledged to work on finishing the Doha Round "as soon as possible." However, they did not set a timetable.

Lamy also plans to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, other members of Congress, and business groups.