Rich nations ask too much in trade talks: Brazil

BRASILIA (Reuters) - Brazil will press on with efforts to reach a global trade accord but rich nations are asking too much of developing countries, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday.

Lula spoke with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in a 20- minute telephone conversation one day after attempts to reinvigorate the Doha world trade talks ran aground.

"Brazil won't abandon efforts to finalize the round in a balanced way. It will continue to contribute to work in Geneva with the other WTO members," presidential spokesman Marcelo Baumbach quoted Lula as saying.

Lula said the reduction of tariffs to a coefficient of 20 as proposed by Blair was "too ambitious" and that Brazil thought a reduction to around 30 was more realistic.

"But developed countries must improve their proposals and adjust their expectations," Baumbach said.

Leading developing countries such as Brazil argue they are being asked to cut far more than their richer trading partners, regarding tariffs for manufactured goods.