Although India is blamed mostly for the DOHA collapse, could believe that as America has mostly only used WTO for its own good, America would be the one most secretly glad with the DOHA failure.

Cheers - BB.

It has all become irrelevant. Already there are signs that global trade
will end in the next, say 10 years.
The cost of shipping a container from China to the US has gone from
US$3000 to around US$8000. One report I saw was that a Philadelphia US
furniture manufacturer has found orders being placed instead of being
placed in China.
Obviously bulky items will be the first to disappear from international
trade. Also air freight has already been affected.

As oil depletion sets in and the price rises more and more items will
return to local manufacture.
Global free trade will go the same way as the airlines.

This article from Edward Ensor, like Edward Gressor's is a timely reminder the path to Riches is fraught with annoying beasties who not only disrupt purposeful well intentioned International agenda's,they sabotage well meaning Nations from elevating the defranchised, poverty stricken, terminally ill etc to a better secure Life, and inadvertently raising their standards of living for future generations to follow. Damn party poopers.

Since it's 2001 inception, the Doha Development Round comprising 153 Nations, have consistently failed to implement meaningful Earth shattering Policies towards resolving the plight of the disadvantaged Third World. Without exception, every year it's been a colossal battle of the giants US of A, Eu, China and emerging India, Brazil, ASEAN and those on the outer fringe.

Chair Pascal Lany mustn't sleep at night; considering it's common knowledge Simon Crean, Rudd and Mcfarlane who effusively feel, we are being short-changed ?

So what of WTO's future ? the implications of consistent failures of the Doha summit ? Commentor Ensor and Co, take the high moral ground, the have-nots are white-anting the Big picture.

Understandably, when Global Corporations, Giant Pharmaceuticals, Business Enterprise etc are threatened with huge losses of profits and market share, their reaction is predictable.

The blame-game is old hat, like a suppurating sore that keeps manifesting itself. Year upon year.

In between spiels and PR announcements, it seems clear the US and Eu sheet all the blame on India for it's intransigence. Before it was Brazil, Australia, Mali and others, over US subsidies to their cotton producers.The collapse 2008, in Geneva is essentially over Agriculture and subsidies afforded the Green belt and Farmers lobby in Europe and USA. Like previous Uruguay 86/94 round-robbin, it is unlikely to change in the dismal future. India claimed ( not without cause )there are no special safeguards for developing countries; special protection against exploitation of Indian and Chinese farmers, and so forth.

Not patently clear is despite US spokeswoman Susan Schwab's rhetorical pronunciamento of huge reductions of arg-subsidies from $18 Billion to $15 B this year.There is little tangible evidence or transparancy.

Credulous Bush's tenure expires in November, and

the next incumbent in the Oval Office would most likely intensify the program, following the disasterous sub-prime debacle, and Fanny Mac's Federal Bank rescue and intervention. In real terms, it provides a mammoth Trade distortion for people earning less $1.00 in 24/7, and living on a bowl of rice a day - forget the expansive bon vivant " spaghetti " dialogue.

What is not mentioned and underpinning the whole debate is US Congress,recently unequivocally approving the continuation of Farm subsidies extending 5 more years to 2013, even though it was unanimously agreed Doha 2001, all forms of export subsidies would substantially be reduced, to make it more competitive,levelling the playing field, and more equitable for those marginalised. The efficacious wheat, maize, and bio-fuel lobby is alive and thriving in Congress. The pied Piper calls the tune always.

What of Trade Barriers, quotas, regulation standards, red tape and other discriminatory measures ? Does this herald the end ot WTO bench marks, and future bilateral and regional agreements ?

Hopefully this is only a minor hiccup, and Leaders of the Free World will settle their differences amicably and with greater resolve. There is too much at stake and too much ground already covered that has benefited zillions. The millions affected by AIDS, Malaria, TB, and SARS is one area where affordable pharmaceuticals are becoming readily available. GM foods and staple crops are providing sustenance where malnutrition ans starvation was once the norm. The Economic benefits are far beyond anyone's expectations. No one person or Nation should have a monopoly or stranglehold on the rest of the World.

Our Minister for Trade Simon Crean, DFTA and myriad Business Councils and Org's should continue to press for Free Trade Globally, and encourage APEC,ASEAN summits to float a robust forum in our Pacific Region.

Something in the order of Hawke and Keating back in 1983.

Who's for a change ??

Dalma;
The pollies won't admit it publically but they know that there
is no point in committing further to WTO treaties.
They would no sooner get it all tucked up in bed and they would have
to start tearing it down again.
Everything is about to start changing as production returns slowly to
becoming local.

Free trade will die and tariffs will start to come back although
nowhere near as intense as they used to be. They simply won't need
much in the way of tariffs.

Governments are well aware that a replacement for oil products is a
long way off and certainly till after the next five or six election
cycles. So why scare the horses ?