BRUSSELS, July 30 (Xinhua) -- Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade Frank Heemskerk has said U.S. reluctance to make concessions was partly to blame for the collapse of the world trade Doha Round talks.

    He said on Tuesday evening that it was difficult to pinpoint exactly why the talks broke down, but he felt that the United States became increasingly less willing to make further concessions in the last few days.

    He said that Washington could have done more in the area of cotton production.

    The World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations broke down Tuesday after nine days of tough talks in Geneva. Grave differences remain between the United States and India on measures to protect farmers in poorer countries against increasing imports.

    The collapse of talks on further liberalization of world trade is "a great pity," said Heemskerk, who represented the Netherlandsat the WTO meeting in Geneva.

    "An agreement could have led to much profit. Not only for the poorest countries, but also for businesses and consumers in the Netherlands because free trade leads to lower prices and thus more spending power," Heemskerk was quoted as saying.

    The so-called Doha Round of trade talks started in 2001 with the aim of reducing global poverty by giving poor countries more access to world markets.

WTO trade talks failure increases world economic uncertainties

    GENEVA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The failure of WTO ministers on Tuesday to make a breakthrough in the long-stalled Doha Round global trade negotiations adds to world economic uncertainties.

    After nine days of intensive negotiations, trade ministers from35 major WTO members failed to narrow their differences on agriculture trade and industrial market access, the two key and harshly disputed areas of the Doha Round. Full story

WTO chief announces collapse of crucial Doha Round meeting

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy attends a press conference at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland July 29, 2008. The WTO announced Tuesday the collapse of a crucial ministerial meeting which tried to reach an outline agreement on agriculture and NAMA (non-agricultural market access) in the past nine days. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    GENEVA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy announced Tuesday that a crucial ministerial meeting seeking a breakthrough of the Doha Round had collapsed.

    The ministers were "simply not able to bridge their differences", Lamy told a press conference after the breakup of negotiations by trade ministers from some 35 major WTO members. Full story