The International Sugar Agreement (ISA)will be renegotiated, International Sugar Organization (ISO)
officer in charge Constantin Politoff told Reuters after a
special session of the pact's council.
    A decision on how to renegotiate will be taken at the ISO
six monthly session in May. The alternatives are between an
autumn London conference for another pact without economic
clauses, but a different voting and budgetary structure, or a
Geneva-based conference next year for a new pact with economic
clauses, he said.
    But delegates said the latter would only be considered if
the world's four major exporters -- Australia, Brazil, Cuba and
the European Community -- can resolve differences over how
prices can best be supported and how to share the world
    Today's special session was called because the U.S. earlier
indicated it would only be able to pay 56 pct of its share of
the ISO budget.
    At today's council session Politoff said the U.S. would try
and find a way to pay the balance of about 50,000 stg later
this year. Currently, about three quarters of this year's ISO
800,000 stg budget has not been paid but delegates said the
U.S. caused controversy as it said it might not pay its full
contribution in the last year of the current pact.
    The Soviet Union has called for changes to the way the ISO
budget is shared out. Currently it is halved between importers
and exporters and the Soviet Union has a 30 pct share of the
importer half. The Soviets want a new sugar pact to have only a
single category of members who would all share the costs pro
rata to their share of world sugar trade.
    The ISO executive committee next meets on April 23 with the
next full council session in the week of May 19.
    There are 12 importing and 44 exporting members of the ISO.
 Reuter
