WTO's Lamy presses U.S. as world trade tumbles

*WTO chief seeking U.S. intentions on world trade talks

*Visit comes as G20 nations violate anti-protection vow

WASHINGTON, March 23 - World Trade Organization Director General Pascal Lamy on Monday began two days of meetings with Obama administration officials and members of Congress to gauge how strong a role the United States will play this year in concluding world trade talks.

"At the moment, he's not too clear on what they want from the Doha round and he wants a bit of clarity as to their intentions," a spokesman for Lamy said.

Lamy's trip to Washington comes as world trade is expected to fall in 2009 for the first time since 1982.

In a speech on Saturday in Brussels, World Bank President Robert Zoellick warned the global economy could shrink 1 percent to 2 percent this year -- the worst since the Great Depression -- and trade could drop to a low not seen in 80 years.

Lamy has said a quick conclusion to the nearly seven-year-old Doha round would boost economic growth and provide an "insurance policy" against future protectionism by ratcheting down the maximum tariff and subsidy levels now permissible under WTO rules.

The Doha round was launched in November 2001 with the goal of helping poor countries prosper through trade. An agreement would require deep cuts in U.S. and European farm subsidies that developing countries say have too long distorted international trade.

Negotiators came close to a deal last year but since taking office in January the Obama administration has said Washington cannot agree to proposals for cutting U.S. farm subsidies and manufacturing tariffs until advanced developing countries make better offers to open their markets to U.S. goods.

Lamy was to meet on Monday with U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, who was confirmed by the Senate only last week. Kirk met with European Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton on Thursday and the two pledged to work on finishing the Doha round "as soon as possible," without setting a date.

Lamy also plans to meet with U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel, other members of Congress and business groups.

President Barack Obama and other leaders from the Group of 20 developed and developing countries will meet in London on April 2 to discuss jump-starting world economic growth.

G20 leaders, at their last meeting in November, pledged not to impose any new measures to restrict trade or investment for the next 12 months. At least 17 of the 20 have violated that promise, according to a recent World Bank report.

Lamy supports strengthening the standstill commitment by requiring G20 members to file a report each quarter on any new barriers or subsidies they impose. He's also hoping for concrete action at the G20 summit on helping to unfreeze credit lines to finance imports and exports.