In both meetings, Tamazawa stressed that agricultural products could not be treated the same as industrial goods because their production is "multi-functional" -- having a cultural and environmental impact unrelated to trade. US agriculture secretary Dan Glickman restated Washington's Opposition to multi-functionality, saying it can be too easily used to justify trade distortions.

Likewise, he raised Washington's well-known proposal that agriculture export subsidies be eliminated. Tamazawa replied that the latter could not be discussed out of the larger context. Australian agriculture minister likewise expressed opposition to the multi-functionality concept, saying it provides legal cover for protectionist practices. "In total, there is a gap between the Japanese position and (that of) the other major promoters of agricultural trade, including US and the Cairns Group," the spokesman said, referring to the 18-strong grouping of agricultural exporters that includes Australia.

Meanwhile EU farm commissioner Franz Fischler has said the EU had shown flexibility on agriculture at world trade talks here and was waiting for the Cairns group of major farming nations to make concessions. An EU document, put on the table at a WTO conference here, left no doubt the 15-nation bloc was fully committed to negotiating on agriculture within the framework set by an agreement reached at the end of an earlier round of world trade talks, Fischler said.