U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick is to arrive in Japan on Tuesday, according to Japanese officials.
He will meet with government ministers the following day to discuss stalled global trade talks and Japan's ban on U.S. beef imports, the officials said.
Zoellick plans to hold talks with Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa on the new round of global trade talks launched by the World Trade Organization in Doha in November 2001.
Zoellick is scheduled to meet with Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshiyuki Kamei to discuss the ban on U.S. beef imports, imposed after the discovery of the first case of mad cow disease in the United States in December, the officials said.
In mid-January, Zoellick wrote to his counterparts in WTO member economies, stating that they should agree to eliminate farm export subsidies by a set date.
He urged them to schedule meetings of senior officials to develop frameworks for negotiations by the middle of the year, in preparation for a WTO ministerial meeting before the end of 2004.
Zoellick is expected to seek support for his proposal during his visit to Japan.
The global trade talks have been deadlocked since the collapse of a WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico, in September.
Zoellick is also expected to call for an end to the Japanese ban on U.S. beef imports.
Japan has rejected U.S. calls for lifting the ban at an early date, insisting that current testing measures do not guarantee the safety of U.S. beef products.
Tokyo has been urging Washington to test all cattle for mad cow disease, but the U.S. has been reluctant, arguing it is already taking scientific measures to ensure safety.