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."