Dairies Sour on Trade Talks

The United States and seven other countries began "very significant" talks in Australia Monday on a pact that could be the first step towards a sweeping Asia-Pacific free-trade zone.Officials from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Chile, Brunei, Peru and Vietnam are also taking part in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations in Melbourne, which may eventually include China, Japan and South Korea."This is a very significant potential trade negotiation," Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean told reporters in Canberra.

The first round of expert-level talks on a major trade pact between China and Taiwan will be held in Beijing this week, state press reported on Sunday.The discussions on the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement will begin on Tuesday and are aimed at boosting commercial ties between the two rivals by normalising trade arrangements, Xinhua news agency said.According to reports from Taiwan, Huang Chih-peng, head of the Bureau of Foreign Trade, would head up Taiwan's delegation, while Tang Wei, a Ministry of Commerce department head, would negotiate for China.

US President Barack Obama's administration is under pressure from Congress to emphasize labor rights, democratic values and market reforms in talks to forge a trans-Pacific trade deal.Obama's top trade official Ron Kirk met lawmakers for consultations Wednesday ahead of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) linking the United States with an initial group of seven nations -- Australia, Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

Australia will resume stalled talks with China within days as it pursues an ambitious free-trade push following its strong recovery from the global downturn, Trade Minister Simon Crean said.He said discussions with China would open in Canberra next week, while Australia was also in talks with Japan and South Korea and was studying a deal with India.He said Canberra and Beijing were strongly committed to free-trade negotiations which stumbled on technical issues before diplomatic ties suffered a series of setbacks last year.

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) -- The World Trade Organisation boss on Wednesday warned that global trade talks could remain stalled if President Barack Obama's administration backpedals on liberalization amid the economic crisis....

The United States and China huddled Thursday for key talks on trade disputes, clean energy and climate change less than three weeks before a visit by US President Barack Obama.US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met for a second day with a team led by Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan in the eastern city of Hangzhou.Obama is due to begin his first presidential visit to China on November 15, and the two sides are looking to smooth over trade tensions before his high-profile trip to Shanghai and Beijing.

The United States and China huddled Thursday for key talks on trade disputes, clean energy and climate change less than three weeks before a visit by US President Barack Obama.US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met for a second day with a team led by Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan in the eastern city of Hangzhou.Obama is due to begin his first presidential visit to China on November 15, and the two sides are looking to smooth over trade tensions before his high-profile trip to Shanghai and Beijing.