Agence France Presse

Washington, May 15:

The political heat is rising as the US Congress nears a showdown vote over the biggest free-trade pact in a decade, with five Central American nations and the Dominican Republic.

The vote, expected in the next few weeks, is seen as a critical test for president George W Bush’s free-trade agenda and a stepping stone for a broader pan-American free-trade zone. The White House is pressing hard for ratification, and lobbying has been intense from industry groups representing textiles, sugar and high technology. Labour and other activist groups have also been vocal.

To highlight the importance of the deal, Bush was joined over by presidents of the states that join the US-Dominican Republic-Ce-ntral American Free Trade pact.