US companies ask Bush to settle trade dispute

The chief executives of 74 of the largest companies in the US have sent a letter to President Bush requesting that he settle the trade dispute with the EU over tax breaks for US exporters as soon as possible. Among the signatories of the letter were the chief executives of Boeing, Exxon, General Motors and Walt Disney. They want the Bush administration to either appeal the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ruling against the tax breaks or negotiate with the EU to avoid the imposition of sanctions.