Recent World Trade Organization (WTO) agricultural trade negotiations and the U.S. catalysts industry are among the topics examined in the current issue of Industry Trade and Technology Review (ITTR), a quarterly publication of the U.S. International Trade Commission's Office of Industries.

Industry Trade and Technology Review contains articles originating from research and analysis conducted by U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) staff as part of its responsibilities to provide advice and technical information on industry and trade issues. The ITTR provides analysis of important issues and insights into the global position of U.S. industries, the technological competitiveness of the United States, and implications of trade and policy developments.

The ITTR is a publication of the Office of Industries. The opinions and conclusions it contains are those of the authors and are not the views of the Commission or of any individual Commissioner.

The current issue (April 2003) includes the following articles:

• WTO Agricultural Trade Negotiations: a Third Update --- Major policy differences among WTO members have affected multilateral trade negotiations for agriculture. This article examines developments in the agricultural negotiations during the months between the Doha Ministerial in November 2001 and the March 31, 2003, deadline date for agreement on trade rules governing the extent to which countries can reduce export subsidies and trade-distorting domestic supports and open markets to foreign competition. Specifically, the article highlights the negotiating positions of the country groups on key topics of market access, export competition, and domestic support; the proposal of Hong Kong Ambassador Stuart Harbinson, who chairs the special negotiating sessions of the WTO Committee on Agriculture; WTO-member reactions; and the outlook for negotiations scheduled for September 2003 in Cancun.

• Catalysts: An Innovative Industry Responds to Technological and Competitive Challenges --- Catalysts are critical in several key industries as substances that generally accelerate the rate of chemical reactions, especially in chemical and petroleum refining. They play a vital role in the U.S. economy, for most commercial chemicals used today could not be produced without catalysts. Although dwarfed by the value of resulting products, U.S. catalyst sales are nonetheless significant, comprising a multibillion dollar industry. The changing catalyst industry is highly dependent on advances in research and development, a trend that will likely accelerate with the advent of new technologies such as biocatalysis. This article examines the basic characteristics of catalysts, their principal commercial applications, the structure of the industry, major challenges facing the industry, and prospective future applications.

In addition, the publication includes an appendix charting key performance indicators for the steel, automobile, aluminum, flat glass, and services industries, as well as for North American trade.

Industry Trade and Technology Review (USITC Publication 3602, April 2003) will be posted on the USITC's Internet site at www.usitc.gov. A cumulative list of articles published in the report series is also posted. The ITTR will also be available at regional federal depository libraries in the United States. To request a printed copy of the ITTR or to be added to the mailing list, contact the Office of the Secretary, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436. Requests may also be faxed to 202-205-2104.