The WTO mini-ministerial scheduled to be held later this month to break the impasse on crucial farm and industrial tariff negotiations has been called off.
With the ministerial called off, the April 30 deadline set at the Hong Kong World Trade Organisation Ministerial in December last for working out modalities would be missed.
Though no fresh date has been indicated, it is expected that the ministerial could be held in June, delaying the Doha round of trade negotiations scheduled to be completed by the year-end.
The Doha Round of talks started in 2001 has already missed the December 2005 deadline for completion.
Sharp differences between developed and developing countries on the contentious phase out of farm subsidies and lowering of industrial tariffs for improved market access were the reasons for the talks being called off, trade sources told PTI.
Senior officials will, however, meet to take stock of the situation and chart a future course.
There are 20-25 issues on the table, which are to be clinched by this year-end but the farm and industrial tariffs were two crucial issues without which it will be difficult to arrive at a consensus for completion of the Doha round of talks, WTO Director General Pascal Lamy had said in India few days back.
"Negotiations had approached last spasm as in any other talks and it is important that all 150 member countries work towards a collective discipline by successfully completing the current Doha Round of trade talks," he had said.