WTO talks revival chances appear slim in US

0 Comments | AFP, July, 2008

WASHINGTON (AFP) — This week's collapse of WTO talks suggests dim prospects for broadening global free trade with US President George Bush set to leave office and American support for such deals waning, analysts say.

With the presidential election only three months away, the prospects for making progress on the Doha Round that has staggered for seven years all but died Tuesday with the Geneva breakdown.

Experts said that the US would likely pursue bilateral trade deals rather than try to forge a pact with the 152-nation WTO, where agreements must be reached by consensus.

"The US would probably revert to bilateral agreements with people like (South) Korea and the Latin American countries, (and) this (collapse) would give new impetus to these efforts," said...