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Reports that U.S. Republican Congressional leaders are struggling to line up enough votes to pass the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which would cut trade barriers with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. Suggestion that the inability to placate sugar producers raises doubts about President George W. Bush's ability to push the trade deal through Congress; Issue of weak support for trade agreements; Strength of the sugar lobby; Views of legislators; Divisions within the Senate Finance Committee; Background on the agreement; Objections of sugar industry executives and their supporters in Congress.

Costa Rica at presstime this afternoon was expected to announce its withdrawal from what was to be the final round of negotiations to conclude a free trade agreement with the United States and four other Central American countries, throwing into confusion at least the timing for completing the pact. Costa Rican and U.S. negotiators in recent days had been unable to bridge differences over U.S. demands that Costa Rica sign on to certain intellectual property protections and open its insurance market, in addition to differences over agriculture and several other sticking points.