BUSINESS BRIEFS
U.S., S. Korea in more trade talks
Advertiser Staff and News Services
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INCHEON, South Korea — The chief U.S. negotiator in free-trade talks with South Korea said the two sides need to make progress this week toward achieving an agreement.
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler said upon arrival yesterday that the key objective of the sixth round of negotiations — set to begin today in Seoul — is "to get an agreement, a good agreement."
Since launching the talks in June, Seoul and Washington have reported little progress toward a deal that, if completed, would be the United States' biggest since the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1993.
The latest round in the United States last month failed to bridge numerous gaps, including Seoul's request for Washington to change its anti-dumping laws and patent protections for American pharmaceutical companies. Other thorny issues include autos and agriculture.
TRIAL ON COKE SECRETS TO BEGIN
ATLANTA — Prosecutors say a former Coca-Cola secretary took confidential documents from the beverage giant and samples of products that hadn't been launched with the aim of selling them to rival Pepsi. Her lawyer says she was duped by two ex-cons and didn't commit a crime.
A jury will be asked to determine who is telling the truth. The process of selecting that jury starts tomorrow in Joya Williams' trial.
Williams, who was fired as an administrative assistant to The Coca-Cola Co.'s global brand director after the alleged scheme came to light last summer, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy.
Williams, Edmund Duhaney and Ibrahim Dimson were indicted on the single federal charge, accused of stealing new product samples and confidential documents from Atlanta-based Coca-Cola and trying to sell them to Purchase, N.Y.-based PepsiCo Inc.
The alleged plans were foiled after Pepsi warned Coca-Cola in May and an undercover FBI investigation was launched.
—Advertiser News Services
