WASHINGTON: The United States has said it was planning to begin negotiations with other leading trading countries for a deal to cut tariffs for green goods like solar panels.

The office of the US Trade Representative said it had officially notified Congress of the plan to open talks for a new pact on environmental goods under the World Trade Organisation.

“By eliminating tariffs on the environmental technologies we need to keep our air and water clean, for example, we can make them cheaper and more accessible to everyone,” said US Trade Representative Michael Froman. “An agreement on environmental goods can make an importantcontribution to the domestic and international environmental protection agenda.”

Earlier this year the US reached agreement with 13 other WTO members to launch talks on a trade pact for environmental goods. The 13 plus the United States account for 86 per cent of the $1 trillion annual global trade in environmental goods.