Commodities: Coffee

EFFORTS are being made to raise the tempo of talks at the International Coffee Organisation on a new pact to support world prices. Fresh momentum may be injected by a paper being drawn up principally by Brazil and Colombia, which will refer to the basic structure of any new agreement and specifically to the regulation of exports and imports.

According to the timetable drawn up by the ICO last year, a new economic agreement should be on paper by the end of this year to allow time for ratification before the current administrative pact expires in September 1993. The current talks are due to end on 30 September.