The United States and four other key members of the World Trade Organization are holding two days of informal trade talks in Paris.

　　Meeting at the Brazilian embassy in the French capital, negotiators from the European Union, Brazil, India, Australia and the United States said they hope to make progress on the question of agricultural subsidies, which have been a significant obstacle to work on a new global trade agreement, due by July 31.

　　The European Union announced in May that it is willing to eliminate subsidies on agricultural exports, an issue important to developing countries. The United States has refused to do the same unless developing countries allow greater access to their markets for industrialized nations' goods and services.