Last-ditch push to rescue talks on steel subsidies

A last-ditch effort will be made in the next May-June 2004 to rescue talks between the world's main steel-producing nations on curbing subsidies to the industry, amid growing doubts about the participants' commitment to reaching a deal.

The talks, at the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, were launched in 2003, when the world steel market was glutted with excess production and prices were weak.