WTO talks set to collapse as US refuses to engage on food

Talks at the 11th ministerial of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) here is set to collapse with the US refusing to engage in the effort to find a permanent solution to the public stockholding issue, official sources said.
Assistant US Trade Representative Sharon Bomer Lauritsen in a small group meeting said that permanent solution to the food stockholding issue was not acceptable to America, they said.
With US refusing to engage in negotiation on the crucial issue, which the 11th ministerial is mandated to deliver, would lead to collapse of the talks, one of the officials said.
India has been maintaining that permanent solution to food stockpile issue was a "must have" at the ongoing ministerial.

New Delhi has toughened its stand on the need for a permanent solution to the public stock holding of food, saying that failing to achieve it at the WTO's ongoing 11th ministerial meeting here would impact the credibility of the multilateral institution.