41.   In a separate briefing, trade minister Ryutaro Hashimoto said the government will unveil a second supplementary budget in the fall to stimulate growth.

42.   In fact, he held meetings Tuesday with a few trade ministers who managed to leave their hotels.

43.   In the war, he was foreign trade minister of a collapsed country that had almost no trade and only the most tenuous links to the outside world.

44.   Just in the last month the Japanese prime minister had been down there and European trade ministers are staking a claim too.

45.   Junior trade minister Neil Hamilton rejected calls he resign and sued the Guardian newspaper, which first published the claims.

46.   Latin American trade ministers are due to meet in late June to work on this.

47.   Last week, QUAD trade ministers said China must also commit to compliance with WTO accords on trade in telecommunications and information technology concluded earlier this year.

48.   Manuel won praise during his tenure as trade minister by reducing tariffs and government subsidies to industry.

49.   Many foreign trade ministers say it is hard to negotiate agreements with the United States knowing that Congress can revise them.

50.   Ministry officials, who view the tariff threat as a challenge to their influence and prestige, have persuaded trade minister Ryutaro Haashimoto to stand firm.