US laments 'distressing' trade talks breakdown

GENEVA: The United States lamented on Wednesday the breakdown of WTO talks for a global trade pact, after nine days of tense negotiations failed on deadlock with India on import tariffs.

"It is particularly distressing for us that we find ourselves without an agreement today," US Trade Representative Susan Schwab told a news conference as delegates reviewed the wreckage of nine days of talks.

She regretted that the gruelling talks had broken down on deadlock over special import tariff measures, after certain countries rejected WTO proposals.

"It would have worked, and yet there were others who demanded more. And more included a tool to close markets," Schwab said, without naming India.

"All of these debates about how easy or how hard it should be to raise barriers to food imports took place in the context of a global food crisis when the last thing we should be thinking about is raising barriers to trade in food."