Seattle Will Host WTO Negotiations

The 133-member World Trade Organization will launch its next round of global trade negotiations Nov. 30 through Dec. 3 in Seattle. The home of Boeing Co. beat out San Diego, Honolulu and Dallas to host the WTO ministerial meeting, which is expected to draw between 5,000 and 7,000 trade officials, employees and journalists. Geneva-based WTO holds ministerial meetings annually but has not launched new trade talks since 1986, when the so-called Uruguay Round was started. U.S. Trade Rep. Charlene Barshefsky plans to push for greater liberalization of trade in services and agriculture, an effort that has become much tougher since the 1997 collapse of Asia’s currency and stock markets.