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Updated 30 July, 9:20

Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Trade talks at the World Trade Organization have collapsed, with no negotiated settlement found, Pascal Lamy, WTO chief, has confirmed. He told a press conference after speaking to members late Tuesday that out of a to-do list of 20 topics, 18 had seen positions converge but the gaps could not narrow on the 19th—the special safeguard mechanism for developing countries. Reuters earlier Tuesday and AFP had reported that India and the United States were "sharply divided," over "proposals for import tariff measures to protect poor farmers that
would impose a special tariff on certain agricultural goods in the
event of an import surge or price fall."

The talks began in 2001 and they have not officially ended, but with trade ministers failing to reach a negotiated settlement in Geneva today the ministerial level meeting has ended and further substantive negotiations are unlikely this year, in part because of the US presidential election in November.

Reactions from key US, UK, French and Swiss publications, Wednesday (source: webdo)

Libération, Paris OMC: L’échec des négociations était prévisible

Le Monde, Paris Sarkozy en porte-à-faux and OMC: "Cette réunion est un échec", affirme Pascal Lamy

Le Figaro, Paris Constat d’échec à l’OMC

Le Temps, Genève Globalisation en péril
Nouvel Observateur, Paris OMC: les négociations engagées à Genève se seraient soldées par un échec
The Guardian, UK  Mandelson condemns collapse of world trade talks in Geneva and Q&A – The Doha round of WTO talks
BBC  World trade talks end in collapse and Poorer nations face talks collapse fall-out
The Times, UK  Bricks crumble in the house of global trade
Foreign Policy In Focus, Washington, USA The WTO’s Raw Deal on Services
The Economist, London  Remember Doha?
International Herald Tribune, France  WTO talks collapse over farm trade
Financial Times  Doha trade talks collapse