Europe's trade chief said on Sunday it was time for Europe, the United States and others to make "clear offers" to ensure real progress on freeing up world commerce at international trade talks in Hong Kong in December, Reuters reported. European Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson told Reuters senior trade officials from around the world must "show their cards" during meetings in Switzerland this week. "We are entering a key period in the run-up to Hong Kong," he said. "Hong Kong is not the end of the (WTO) round. But it will be a defining moment for it and this coming week will define how far we are going to get at Hong Kong." The 148-state World Trade Organisation (WTO) launched its so-called Doha round of talks at the end of 2001. In Hong Kong, it wants a full blueprint for the round, with accords on slashing rich nation farm subsidies and lowering tariffs on all goods and opening up services markets that can be turned into a final deal by end-2006. U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman will host a meeting of top trade officials in Zurich on Monday and that will be followed by discussions in Geneva on Tuesday and Wednesday. --more 2339 Local Time 2039 GMT
