Free trade has lots of advocates.
But not everyone is ready to give it free reign. Last weekend the finance ministers and central bank governors of the Group of Seven countries held their regular spring meeting here. The WTO has scheduled a ministerial meeting in Qatar for November in an effort to revive progress on the next round of tariff reductions. But many difficulties remain unresolved. Opponents of a new round are unconvinced, however, and industrialized countries remain split on the agenda.