US, South Korea begin last-minute trade talks

Washington, Mar 20: U.S. and South Korean officials met in Washington hoping to complete negotiations on a free trade agreement before an end-of-March deadline.

Wendy Cutler, chief U.S. negotiator for the proposed trade deal, said discussions that began on Monday with her counterpart, Kim Jong-hoon, got off to a ''good start.'' But she said the pair hadn't yet broached trade in automobiles and rice, two of the most sensitive issues in months of negotiations. Washington would like to see more U.S. cars flowing to South Korea, while Seoul would like to keep rice, a staple for Korean farmers, off the negotiating agenda.

''We'll be getting to that,'' Cutler told reporters.

Last week, officials from both countries said they had sealed agreement in some areas and were optimistic a deal could be reach by the end of March, which is the latest the Bush administration can notify Congress of its intent to sign a pact under its current trade authority.

The trade deal would be the biggest for Washington in 15 years.

Reuters