After 7 Years, Talks on Trade Collapse

In 2001, world leaders set a goal of lifting trade restrictions to improve efficiency and decrease poverty in developing nations – and so the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations began. But over the seven years, the divide between developing and developed nations became more pronounced, and the US, India and China could not agree on measures to protect farmers in developing countries from increasing trade liberalization, report Stephen Castle and Mark Landler for the New York Times. The collapse of the Doha Round talks could signal a new era of protectionism, nationalism and mistrust rather than global cooperation – and does not bode well for negotiations on other global problems including climate change. International trade and special two-way deals between nations will continue, but the poorest nations will continue to get shut out of the world’s most lucrative markets. Nations balking at agreement cling to terms reflecting current conditions. Those conditions are in constant flux, and meanwhile the long-term benefits of global cooperation are neglected. – YaleGlobal