APEC decision seen on Sunday

APEC decision seen on Sunday

KUALA LUMPUR (Dow Jones): Malaysian Trade Secretary Rafidah Aziz promised Saturday that Pacific Rim ministers will make a decision Sunday on a trade liberalization agreement, despite continuing disagreements over the issue.

But she said the ministers spent an afternoon talking about trade facilitation and economic and technology cooperation, leaving discussions of specific steps to solve Asia's financial crisis until Sunday.

A dispute over a proposed nine-sector trade liberalization pact has dominated the first three days of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation annual meeting. Differences between the U.S. and Japan have blocked progress on that and other issues.

The U.S. has pushed for tariff reductions in each of the pact's nine sectors. Japan has resisted tariff cuts in its fishery and forestry industries.

Rafidah said the trade talks will continue Sunday, and a decision will follow. "There is a package," she said. "Whether or not everyone thinks it is satisfactory is a different story. Tomorrow we will decide."