Brussels, 27/02/2009 (Agence Europe) - On an official visit to Berlin to try and win support from the German government for the signing of an EU-South Korea free trade agreement (see EUROPE 9849), EU Trade Commissioner Catherine Ashton explained her desire on Thursday 26 February 2009 to step up economic dialogue between the EU and the United States. Transatlantic relations have been soured since the start of this year by new trade disputes, illustrated by the EU's threat to take to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) the tightening of US sanctions in retaliation against the EU's refusal to import hormone-treated beef. The US has tripled customs duty on Roquefort cheese from France. A further illustration of these tensions is the threat by the United States to take the EU ban on imports of chlorine-treated poultry to the WTO, and the car industry bailout plans on either side of the Atlantic, or the call for the US to Buy American. Lady Ashton's has at a two-fold aim, backed by Germany's economy minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg. She wants to get Washington more closely involved in the talks about a new world financial set-up, which is the subject of the 2 April 2009 London G20 Summit. Ashton and zu Guttenberg have announced that they will be meeting members of the US Congress to discuss the issue on their separate visits to Washington in the first fortnight of March. The second aim is to win the US round to the free trade cause, encouraging the Obama Administration to resist protectionist pressures and conclude the global trade talks. “The Doha round is my priority. I expect signals from the US government in March... I hope it can come to a meeting in Geneva in early summer,” said Lady Ashton, who is postponing her trip to Washington to mid-March to allow time for the new US Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, to be confirmed by Congress. Ron Kirk's hearing at Congress has been postponed until 5 March. (E.H. trans fl)