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HYUNDAI TO OFFER HYBRID CARS IN US

DETROIT - Korean carmaker Hyundai will launch a hybrid car in the US by 2006 to compete with Toyota's and Honda's offerings, a trade publication has reported.
 
Won Suk Cho, president of Hyundai America's technical center in Ann Arbor, MI, said the automaker is testing early versions of a gasoline-electric version of its Getz hatchback in South Korea and is planning on testing consumer reaction to that vehicle in its home market next year.
 
Cho did not specify if Hyundai would launch the Getz in the US, but said the automaker would have a hybrid for the US market in three years with Hyundai's own technology, Automotive News reported in this week's edition.
 
Japanese automakers dominate the small, but symbolically important, hybrid niche in the US - Toyota and Honda sold 38,000 hybrid models last year.
 
General Motors and the Ford Motor Company have both announced they will offer fuel-efficient power-trains in some of their existing models, but the vehicles have been slower coming to market than anticipated.
 
NAM LENDS SUPPORT TO FTAA DECLARATION

MIAMI - The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) has said it will work on the basis of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Ministerial Declaration, saying that it offers the opportunity for a comprehensive and ambitious FTAA that would open up markets and improve trading rules in the hemisphere.

"The NAM has for years been at the forefront of those pressing for hemispheric free trade," said Frank Vargo, NAM vice president for international economic affairs.

"Today's decision has avoided having the door slam shut, and gives us the chance for what can still be a high quality agreement," he said. "It certainly looks like a difficult road, but it appears to be the only one available.

"This is not what we wanted, and we have serious concerns," Vargo added. "But the alternative, allowing the talks to collapse because a way could not be found to bridge the gap with Brazil, would have been a disaster for all.

"What we have is a more complicated process - something like developing a TV cable system that has a basic service and premium channels," Vargo said. "The job will be to see that as many channels as possible go into the basic service and that as many countries as possible sign up for the premium channels."
 
At the same time, Vargo cautioned, "Business will work closely with US negotiators to get a good result, but of course we will have to evaluate where we are at the end of the process."
 
NAM International Trade Policy Director Scott Otteman said, "One thing this means is that we have to work closely with the more forward-looking countries in Latin America. We can't let those who want low results to prevent the rest of the countries from achieving a high standard of market access and rules. The outlook is far from certain, but we want to move forward.
 
"Outside of Brazil we saw a lot of recognition that ambitious provisions are the only way to improve trade and economic development," he said. "This is particularly the case with the countries who are going to be our bilateral trade agreement partners - they are our ace in the hole."

Vargo complimented the US Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick, saying, "He deserves a lot of credit for being able to keep the ball in play, but it is still going to be tough to rack up the final score that we want."

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