The agreement, which needs parliamentary approval to take effect from January, has been stalled by manoeuvring over demands by the Labor opposition for measures to protect Australia's cheap pharmaceutical drugs scheme.

Labor leader Mark Latham is demanding an amendment to free trade legislation to stop US pharmaceutical giants using patent laws to prevent cheaper generic medicines being brought on to the market.

The government has so far refused to change the law, arguing that adequate safeguards are already built into the free trade agreement and the kind of measure proposed by Latham would infringe Australian patent laws.

Howard said Friday the government still believed there was no need to change the free trade agreement legislation but he would consider any proposal as long as it would not damage Australian patent law.

"If the Labor Party has an amendment that is not damaging to the patent law of this country -- and that would not be desirable -- well let it bring it forward and let us have a look at it," he told reporters.

He said securing the agreement with the United States was far more important that political manoeuvring and the national interest required both the government and the opposition to deliver on the free trade agreement.