Now that Hong Kong has failed, and the Doha round is on a slow track, one of the critical issues for the success of the round is the duration of fast track (re-labeled "trade promotion authority") in the U.S. Fast track allows the U.S. Congress to ratify a trade agreement by a mere majority in each house, without amendments after introduction of a bill, without being bottled up in committee and without filibuster. It gives negotiating partners confidence that the U.S., having negotiated a deal, will either take it or leave it, but not renegotiate it. Current fast track authority expires on July 1, 2007, meaning, given its requirements for detailed consultation with Congress prior to formal introduction of a bill, that the U.S. needs progress relatively soon.
However, U.S. trade politics are not conducive to either a quick deal or to further extension of fast track. See Daniel Drezner's recent discussion at http://danieldrezner.com/policy/Tradetalk.pdf . So it is entirely possible that Doha negotiations will founder on the reef of U.S. approval.
