But they are already committed to negotiate on unfinished business from the previous Uruguay round of trade talks, notably on farming and services.

ECONOMIST: Storm over globalisation

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, when the previous, Uruguay round of trade talks had almost run into the ground, G7 meetings regularly reiterated the rich countries' commitment to free trade but rarely offered concrete evidence of it.

ECONOMIST: A glimpse of light? | The

Still smarting from what they regarded as unfair treatment in the earlier Uruguay round of trade talks which were concluded in 1994, they moaned about the iniquities of past trade deals and focused on minimising their responsibilities in the Doha round.

ECONOMIST: World trade talks: The Cancun challenge | The

But the administration still has authority to complete talks it began under the so-called Uruguay Round of global trade talks.

CNN: Analysis: What's Next In Fast-Track Debate

The quotas will end by 2005, under agreements made in the Uruguay Round of global trade talks.

CNN: SEWING UP A DEAL

Dubious computations also helped to usher the Uruguay round of global trade talks to a belated conclusion in 1994.

ECONOMIST: Economic models

Yet in 1992, the president of the European Commission, Jacques Delors, almost scuppered the Uruguay round of world trade talks rather than cut farm spending.

ECONOMIST: European agriculture is feeling beleaguered

But the last round of trade talks, the Uruguay Round, ended in bitterness after the United States tried to force through the abolition of agricultural price supports against the fierce opposition of the European Union.

BBC: World trade talks stalled

And for good reason: the last important set of trade talks the Uruguay Round that wound up in 1994 had the same goal.

ECONOMIST: This year is too soon for a new round of global trade talks