WTO negotiations end in failure.

Financial News, September, 2003

Vital world trade talks, critical to the health of the world economy, collapsed late Sunday night in Mexico after rich and poor nations failed to bridge deep divisions over agriculture and investment rules.The meeting of key ministers at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Conference in Cancun fell into disarray Sunday after the developing countries rejected demands by the 15-nation EU to start talks on global trade rules on investment, competition policies, the awarding of government contracts and cutting the red tape and corruption that shackles trade.

The four sets of proposals, named the 'Singapore issues' because they were raised at a WTO meeting in the Asian state in 1996, were being pushed by Europe and Japan. They were resisted by a large and powerful...

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