Trade Minister Tim Groser says his bid to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organisation is no longer "a long shot".
From the original nine candidates, Mr Groser has made it through the next round of five candidates.
Over the next few weeks, they will be reduced to a shortlist of two.
"What we thought was a very long shot I don't think you could describe as a very long shot any longer," he told the Herald.
Mr Groser is a former trade ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), based in Geneva.