Following the failure of the World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference in Cancún, Mexico, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder issued an appeal to all parties concerned to resume talks as soon as possible.
The US department of agriculture has announced that it will know next week whether Japan is satisfied with the new steps taken to prevent mad cow disease in US beef exports.
The European Union is to reduce testing of imported Thai poultry for cancer-causing drugs, claiming that improved checks on chicken meat products have eased food safety fears.
The Sars outbreak in Asia has had far-reaching implications for a number of industries. China, one of the worst-hit countries, has seen a sharp decline in the export of many goods and products, not least livestock.
