No possibility of concluding Doha Round this year

With the US not taking any active interest, the Doha Round of trade talks, which began almost a decade ago to open global commerce, is likely to again miss the 2010 target of concluding the deal.

Although Indian team is in full strength at the WTO headquarters in Geneva, officials back home are apprehensive of any concrete developments in absence of 'right signals' from Washington.

"There is no possibility at all (of concluding the deal in 2010)," a senior official said even as officials from the WTO members are engaged in deliberations on technical aspects of trade in agricultural and non-agricultural goods.

Global leaders at platforms like G-20 Summit have pressed for conclusion of the Doha Round in 2010. A stock-taking exercises on the ongoing WTO negotiations is expected to take place in March but official said 'nothing concrete is expected to emerge'.

India has raised concerns over the non-serious behaviour of the US on the Doha negotiations in Geneva.

"The US ambassador to WTO is not in place. Their negotiators are still not confirmed. . .," commerce secretary Rahul Khullar has said.

Last week, India had sent officials of the rank of additional secretary, while junior level functionaries of the US were present.

Trade analysts find protectionists signals coming from the US may dim the prospects of the conclusion of the much- delayed Doha Round in 2010.

The American trade representative Ron Kirk was also absent at the informal meeting of trade ministers at Davos last month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual conference.

"Protectionists signals from the US could act as an obstacle in the conclusion of the Doha Round," said Indian Institute of Foreign Trade's Rakesh Mohan Joshi. The Doha talks which began in 2001 with an intention of opening the global trade has missed several deadlines.