Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, March 22, 1994                   TAG: 9403220069
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press, Journal of Commerce
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

IN BUSINESS

RICHMOND - Manufacturing orders and capital spending in five mid-Atlantic states rose slightly during the past six months, according to a survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.

Most of the manufacturing activity was unchanged in February, said the survey of 162 manufacturers in South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

About 30 percent of businesses reported an increase in orders from January; 20 percent reported a decrease. About half reported no change.

Twenty-four percent said capital spending had increased from six months ago; 14 percent said the spending decreased. Sixty-one percent reported no change. - Associated Press

Farm-trade talks end in Canada

TORONTO - Senior U.S. and Canadian officials broke up key talks in Toronto on Monday without resolving pressing farm-trade issues but agreed to keep the lines of communication open.

Among other things, the United States wants Canada to halt the rapid rise in allegedly subsidized Canadian exports of durum wheat - used for making pasta - and has asked Ottawa to impose a voluntary cap of 1.5 million metric tons annually. The current level is 2.5 million tons.

The United States has challenged Canadian trade policies on a range of products from grain, milk and cheese to peanut butter and sugar.

The Clinton administration is prepared to restrict Canadian wheat exports under a little-used provision of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade if the talks fail. GATT is the Geneva-based body that governs most world trade. - Journal of Commerce