11.   As trade minister, Hashimoto resisted American demands in automobile trade talks last year, while trading acerbic barbs with his American counterpart, Mickey Kantor.

12.   As trade minister, Hashimoto resisted American demands in automobile trade talks last year.

13.   Asia-Pacific trade ministers discussed ways to widen market access and reduce barriers to tariffs and trade in such areas as financial services and technology products.

14.   At the same time, the trade ministers will have to navigate politically charged issues like the yawning U.S. trade deficit with China and Japan.

15.   Bill Gates is doing more to enlarge the global market for goods and services than any trade minister.

16.   A Russian-trained engineer with no experience in the oil business, he was dismissed as trade minister in June for opposing the privatization program.

17.   A surprisingly strong third is Kim Chul Su, the South Korean trade minister, who has the support of Japan and most Asian countries.

18.   After the consultations, the governments can call for a meeting between trade ministers.

19.   British government leaders were so angry that the trade minister, Stephen Byer, summoned the American ambassador in London, Philip Lader, to register a formal protest.

20.   But he stayed in the government, however, and in subsequent governments, served as trade minister, housing minister, infrastructure minister and finally foreign minister.