The task of striking a new round of world trade liberalisation is 80 per cent done, according to the man in charge.
The World Trade Organisation's director-general Pascal Lamy, who is visiting Australia, is upbeat about concluding the Doha trade talks this year.
"It certainly is doable," Mr Lamy told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday.
The WTO's long-running Doha round aims to free up global trade but talks have stalled due to disagreements over agricultural policy and differences between rich and poor nations.
The financial crisis sparked fears of increasing trade protectionism, casting more doubt on Doha's future.
World leaders last year agreed to seal the Doha deal in 2010.
'Political energy' needed
Mr Lamy said about 20 per cent of the task still remained to be done and that would require political energy and a strategic approach.
Tariff reductions on industrial goods and on some agricultural goods, especially from developing countries, were outstanding issues named by Mr Lamy.
He took a positive view of the US commitment to sealing Doha, despite concerns at the lack of a senior US representative at the recent World Economic Forum meeting in Davos.
Mr Lamy said US President Barack Obama's state of the union address struck a positive tone on trade, although the Senate was dragging out the appointment of key trade negotiators.
Despite the failure of the UN's Copenhagen climate summit, which highlighted the problems with a consensus-based approach to international problem-solving, Mr Lany said the WTO would continue to use a consensus system.
Mr Lamy is due to meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Trade Minister Simon Crean on Tuesday and has already met with MPs from the major parties to talk about trade issues.
Share
