Australian trade officials say the idea of breaking up the Doha round of talks into pieces that can be tackled separately is gaining momentum.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard raised Australia's plan during talks on trade at the G20 summit in the French resort city of Cannes.
Ms Gillard said she had come to Cannes with a "maximum level of ambition" to free up trade.
She said G20 leaders accepted that concluding the Doha trade round was "not going to be possible".
"So segmenting the round, whether it is on a topic basis or limiting the number of countries that are prepared to strike agreement, we are open to both possibilities and a combination of those possibilities in order to maximise agreement and progress," she told reporters in Cannes.
A senior government source said the G20 trade discussion was "very encouraging" and Australia's concept - which will be discussed in more detail at the trade ministers summit in December - was gaining "an increasing amount of traction".
Business leaders also expressed support at the B20 meeting in the lead-up to the G20.
SHORING UP THE IMF
Prime Minister Gillard also received strong backing from G20 leaders for bolstering the resources of the International Monetary Fund to shore up the uncertain global economy.
Ms Gillard told the first day of summit that the world was closely watching the deliberations and markets were demanding concrete action on dealing with the sovereign debt crisis and eurozone instability.
'STRAIGHT-TALKING AUSSIE'
A senior government source said that in the closed sessions Ms Gillard was described by other leaders as making a "frank", Aussie-style, intervention during talks on giving the IMF better resources to send a strong message of confidence to markets.
She asked leaders not to talk in platitudes and explain to their nations that beyond the financial and economic jargon what mattered to people was knowing they had a secure job.
Ms Gillard later told reporters she was confident that the G20 would come up with an action plan for Europe, following on from the broad terms agreed by European leaders on October 27, as well as make the IMF more effective.
The plan is expected to be broadly outlined in the final communique to be released on Friday afternoon (Cannes time).
"Getting that plan of action implemented is very important," she said.
"Its details need to be spelled out but more broadly through ensuring there is appropriate IMF resourcing I think the G20 can send a message of confidence and certainty to markets and to mum and dad investors.
"If we don't stabilise the global economy and get it back on the path of growth that will cost jobs and, and while Australians live in a strong and resilient economy, because we are not immune from the global economic circumstances, then of course measures to strengthen the global economy mean more Australian jobs."
