German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday that trade barriers would be discussed at the EU-US summit, to be held on Monday in Washington.

"We are convinced trade can still be improved," she said in her weekly video broadcast, pointing out that EU-US trade made up some 40 percent of world trade.

"There are many bureaucratic barriers, differing standards and conditions. We want to work towards harmonization here," said the German chancellor, who will head the European Union delegation as her country is holding the EU presidency.

She supports recognition by the EU and the US of each other's accounting standards to save costs for companies registered on both sides of the Atlantic.

Patents and the protection of intellectual property were also needing headway, Merkel said, citing as examples different crash test procedures for cars and standards in approving new medications. 

(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2007)