MINISTERS and government officials from around the region last night hailed the go-ahead on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) as a spur to trade both regionally and across the world. Ministers in Seattle for the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) fifth ministerial meeting say the affirmative vote by the US Congress will act as a prod to the seven-year old Uruguay Round of talks under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and enhance leaders' meetings with President Bill Clinton. A senior US administration official said: ''Mr Clinton's coming to Seattle with a NAFTA victory will be good for sprinting to the finish line of the Uruguay Round, and as good a push for APEC. ''A NAFTA defeat would have signalled that the US does not want to be so outward looking.'' Hong Kong director-general of trade Tony Miller said: ''A successful NAFTA vote gives the rest of the world a clear picture of how America views trade. ''Hong Kong is not normally known for supporting this sort of arrangement, preferring a free trade approach, and it is therefore ironic that the US debate pits the protectionists against NAFTA and the liberals in favour.'' Earlier in the debate other Hong Kong government officials said the best thing from the territory's point of view would be for Congress to throw out the NAFTA bill. Speaking in the run-up to the vote Mr Miller said it would be enormously damaging if it failed. Australian Minister of Trade Peter Cook said: ''Mr Clinton comes here in a stronger position having got the NAFTA bill through. He is now in a position to impart more momentum to APEC.'' Meanwhile, a spokesman for British Prime Minister John Major said Britain also welcomed the US vote in favour of the bill, adding that it should give an added push to a GATT world trade deal. ''We warmly welcome the vote . . . in favour of the NAFTA,'' a spokeswoman for Prime Minister John Major said. ''We have consistently stated our belief that free trade agreements like NAFTA will contribute to the liberalisation of world trade. ''This vote must now give an added impetus to all those working for a successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round of the GATT,'' she said. Downing Street said Britain believed the free trade agreement linking Canada, the United States and Mexico would aid the economies of the whole of North America. ''We expect that the NAFTA will bring substantial economic benefits to the North American region,'' the spokeswoman said. ''We will be working to ensure that UK companies are well positioned to participate.''
