BIG TRADING POWERS TRY TO AGREE PLAN TO HELP THE POOR

The world's largest trading powers are seeking to agree a plan to abolish duties on most imports from the very poorest countries, in an effort to boost prospects of launching a world trade round at this week's World Trade Organisation meeting. Pascal Lamy, European Union trade commissioner, said the EU was close to agreeing the plan with Japan and hoped it would be approved "in hours or days" by the US and Canada, the other members of the "Quad" group of big trading powers. The EU and Japan said they were ready to remove the duties unconditionally as a gesture of goodwill. The US said it was still consulting domestic interest groups and hoped to be able to agree to the plan - which also provides for capacity-building measures in poor countries - before the launch of a round.