Washington: The U.S. wants advanced developing countries like India, China and Brazil to open their markets to finish the Doha round of world trade talks before President George Bush leaves office next January.

"The President's commitment to the Round is unequivocal; the process in Geneva rolls on; and my schedule continues to take me wherever there are trade ministers interested in finding that elusive breakthrough," United States Trade Representative (USTR) Susan Schwab said Wednesday.

But "the big question for the Round is whether the emerging markets like China, India and Brazil are willing to make contributions to global market opening commensurate with their growth rates and levels of development," the top US trade official said ahead of a meeting in New York Thursday with Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Kamal Nath.

Kamal Nath arrived in New York Wednesday to meet Schwab in another bid to achieve a breakthrough on agriculture that has been at the core of global trade talks since they began in November 2001 in the capital city of Qatar.

Reports from New Delhi indicate India, the world's 11th biggest food exporter according to WTO figures, is unlikely to soften its stance on agriculture as it prefers no deal to one that neglects the needs of poor countries.

"There is no scope for accepting any proposal which compromises agriculture. We have to ensure that the United States comes down very very substantially on its subsidies," Nath is reported to have said last week.