The New Zealand chairman of the World Trade Organisation's agricultural negotiations in Geneva is returning to Wellington in a further sign that the 10 year old world trade talks are nearing collapse.
The Doha round of world trade talks have been in disarray since April when WTO head Pascal Lamy, said differences in the talks appeared unbridgeable.
The reluctance of developing countries like China to open their markets to exports of industrial goods from the United States is cited as one reason for the impase.
Trade Minister Tim Groser, himself a former chair of the WTO agricultural committee, says he recalled David Walker after judgement was made on the overall state of the talks.
Mr Lamy last month called for a smaller agreement covering less contentious issues.
But Mr Groser says such a strategy is no guarantee of success either.
He says he expects a decision on the future of the Doha round before the next full meeting of WTO trade ministers in December. But Mr Groser says he is not wildly optimistic.
