Race against time to revive world trade talks

With just two months remaining before a deadline for a framework global trade treaty, ministers from the largest trade powers will gather today to tackle once more the thorny issue of US and EU farm subsidies.

Both US Trade Representative Rob Portman and European Union Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson – among the ministers from World Trade Organisation members expected to meet in Zurich, the Swiss commercial capital – are under pressure to make difficult concessions, trade officials say.