1.   Speaking before she left for Seattle, Barshefsky said Quad meetings, provided an ideal setting to re-visit the issue.

2.   The EU called a Quad meeting last week.

3.   The Quad meeting also will be monitored by Northwest businesses.

4.   As usual at Quad meetings, which are designed to be informal, much of the real talking was in separate bilateral meetings between the ministers.

5.   The Quad meeting began Thursday.

6.   The quad meeting will also discuss multilateral trade issues such as financial services and regulations, Kantor said ahead of the meeting.

7.   On Thursday, before the official start of the Quad meeting, MacLaren met with Hashimoto while Kantor met with Brittan.