The prime minister, John Howard, says he expects the Cole inquiry to call Alexander Downer and Mark Vaile to give evidence.
Mr Howard has received copies of the foreign minister's and trade minister's statements on what they knew about A-W-B kickbacks on wheat sales to Iraq.
Mr Downer and Mr Vaile will learn this afternoon if and when they will be called to appear.
Commissioner Terence Cole had given other parties at the inquiry until then to apply to cross-examine the two ministers.
His commission is investigating almost 300 million dollars in kickbacks A-W-B paid to Saddam Hussein's former government.
The kickbacks violated United Nations embargoes.