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Marathon WTO talks collapse in US-India farm row

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-07-30 11:00

GENEVA -- Marathon talks on a new global trade pact collapsed on Tuesday as the United States and India refused to compromise over a proposal to help poor farmers deal with floods of imports.

A farmer carries wheat crop as she walks back to her home at Bhadari village, near the northern Indian city of Allahabad, April 8, 2008. [Agencies]

Ministers from other countries expressed incredulity that the trade liberalization talks could have foundered in their ninth day over a technical measure to restrict imports.

Related readings:  WTO talks collapse, rich world 'to blame'  China: Accusations in WTO talks 'groundless'  China plays active role in WTO talks: official

"Someone coming from another planet would not believe that after the progress made, we would not be able to conclude," Brazil's Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said.

"This is a very painful failure and a real setback for the global economy at a time when we really needed some good news," an emotional EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson told reporters, adding that developing countries would suffer most.

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