The world's two top ethanol producers——the U.S. and Brazil ——announced the creation of an international forum to help expand the global market for biofuels， just days before the two countries are expected to sign a separate agreement promoting ethanol across the Western Hemisphere.

　　The International Biofuel Forum will meet regularly for a year to draft global standards for biofuel production， find ways to open markets and encourage investment in countries with the potential to develop the industry， officials said Friday.

　　The announcement comes a week before President Bush travels to Brazil for talks in which renewable biofuels will top the agenda.

　　世界上兩個(gè)最大的乙醇生產(chǎn)國美國和巴西宣布，將創(chuàng)建一個(gè)幫助全球擴(kuò)大生物燃料市場的國際論壇。這個(gè)聲明是在兩國共同簽署一項(xiàng)推動(dòng)在西半球使用乙醇協(xié)議之前幾天發(fā)出的。

　　有關(guān)官員表示，國際生物燃料論壇每年將定期召開會議，以起草生物燃料的制造標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，并尋求打開市場以及在一些有潛力的國家鼓勵(lì)這類工業(yè)發(fā)展的方式。

　　這項(xiàng)公告是在布什總統(tǒng)計(jì)劃訪問巴西前一周宣布的。此次訪問的中心議題就是可再生生物燃料。