US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick urged members of the World Trade Organisation to restart stalled international trade talks, a US official said.
Mr Zoellick, in letters sent to the almost 150 countries that belong to the trade organisation, said the United States was prepared to make a serious effort to get talks going, the official said.
The US trade ambassador believes no trade deal can be sealed without complete elimination of agricultural export subsidies, the official added, a position that would put it at odds with the European Union.
"The letter suggests that WTO members should focus on the basics, especially the core market access topics of agriculture, goods, and services," said the official, who did not want to be named.
The global talks are aimed at lowering or eliminating tariffs charged by countries around the world on imported goods and services, thereby lowering the costs of those products to consumers.
The World Bank has estimated that a trade pact resulting from the talks could add up to $520 billion to world incomes by 2015, or about $85 for every person now living.
The US official said Mr Zoellick asked trade ministers to agree by the middle of the year to terms for a fresh start to talks that broke down in September in Cancun, Mexico, over agricultural issues.
"The period after Cancun was a necessary collective catching of breath, and now we must all recommit to pushing forward. We have a chance to surprise the naysayers," the official said.
Many developing nations are hindered in exporting farm products to industrialised nations by trade obstacles aimed at shielding farmers and ranchers in those countries from being driven out of business by cheap imports.
The talks, launched in Doha, Qatar in late 2001, were to have wrapped up by the end of 2004. Mr Zoellick asked trade ministers to be ready to meet in Hong Kong before the end of the year, the official said.
Mr Zoellick told the Financial Times in an interview he wanted to "reach out to developing countries" by addressing their concerns on agriculture, competition and investment. He added that he would support a developing country candidate to chair the WTO's general council.
The US trade ambassador's letter suggests discussing agriculture before trying to agree on cutting tariffs on industrial goods, the Financial Times said. He said he would travel to a number of countries next month to discuss his ideas for restarting talks, the newspaper said.