WTO set to resume trade talks

GENEVA —  The World Trade Organization agreed Thursday to a limited resumption of stalled free trade talks but warned that major powers had not yet shown the flexibility needed for a deal.

The WTO’s so-called Doha round was suspended in July because of deep differences, particularly over agriculture. But the 149-state body gave the go-ahead to resume discussions.

“We need to shift into a higher gear. We cannot just sit around with the engines going cold,” said one trade official after a meeting of the trade negotiating committee, the steering group for the trade round.

But “it will require a significant political decision on the part of key players to really jump-start these talks,” the official added.

WTO Director General Pascal Lamy called a halt in the 5-year-old round in July, saying the talks were going nowhere and key ministers needed time to reflect on whether they were ready to make the concessions needed for a new free trade pact.

He told the negotiating committee Thursday that there was a “widespread and genuine” desire to get the talks underway, but it was still too early to consider bringing trade ministers together again.

“While we are ready to start technical work at the level of experts, it would in my view be premature to move on to the ministerial negotiations,” Lamy said.

Rather, the WTO should “prepare the ground for fully fledged negotiations to take place when the conditions are right.”

The round of trade talks was launched in the Qatari capital of Doha in late 2001.