At a year-end press conference, Bush said free trade was in the interest both of the United States and of developing countries struggling to improve their economies.

"Free trade will be good for producers of US products, services," he said, as the Democrats prepared to retake control of Congress next month in a move that many analysts say could endanger the US agenda for trade liberalization.

"Free trade is also going to be the most powerful engine for development around the world. It's going to help poor nations become wealthier nations," Bush added.

"We have had a lot of discussions here in this administration of WTO negotiations," the president said.

"I'm very strongly in favor of seeing if we can reach an accord with our trading partners and other countries around the world to get this round completed so that free trade is universal in its application."

The WTO's "Doha Round," launched in the Qatari capital in November 2001, is mired in an impasse as Western and developing countries remain split on issues such as agricultural subsidies and market access.

Time is running out for the Bush administration to get a deal done before it loses its authority to "fast track" trade pacts through Congress at the end of June.