By Robin Pomeroy and Laura MacInnis
GENEVA (Reuters) - With rich and poor countries in deadlockover a new wave of trade liberalisation, WTO talks facecollapse unless negotiators find some common ground in thecoming hours, delegates said.
Arriving at World Trade Organisation headquarters for afifth day of talks aimed at salvaging the long-delayed 'Doha'trade round, ministers and diplomats said they expected to knowby early afternoon whether there was any hope of success.
"If it goes badly, we will be done by 2 p.m. (1 p.m.British time)," one trade official said.
A group of seven key ministers convened by WTO chief PascalLamy, which has so far failed to find any room for compromise,was due to meet again at 12 p.m. (2 p.m. British time).
Delegates said they would know soon after that whether thetalks would fail, however the timing of any outcome on Fridayremained impossible to predict.
One member of that key group of negotiators, Brazil'sForeign Minister Celso Amorim, said late on Thursday that therewas still interest in continuing but that time was running out.
"(Friday) is the day in which we must know whether it'spossible or not. Maybe we don't finish everything, but you musthave an idea whether it's possible or not," he said.
CONCESSIONS REQUIRED
Brazil, a major agricultural exporter and emerging economicpower, is a key player in the talks. Amorim has criticised theUnited States and the European Union for failing to offer bigenough cuts in subsidies and import tariffs which make itharder to compete with American and European farmers.
Washington and Brussels both say they have given ground inthe talks and are waiting for the developing countries to makeconcessions on opening their markets to imports of manufacturedgoods and services.
"Let's put it this way: some countries are stretching morethan others and we'll see tomorrow whether everybody isprepared to do their share," U.S. Trade Representative SusanSchwab said on Thursday night.
Industry associations from Argentina, India and SouthAfrica issued a joint statement warning that the currentproposals in the talks risked damaging key sectors in theircountries that were major providers of employment.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has often said EUfarmers have already given too much, said he would not sign upto the proposal currently on the table.
The Geneva meeting of trade ministers from some 35countries is seen as the last chance for the Doha round, longdelayed since its launch in 2001.
If no outline agreement can be reached, the liberalisationplan cannot be concluded before the end of the year by whichtime U.S. elections would put talks on hold for months oryears.
Lamy has said a successful deal would inject confidenceinto a global economy beset by soaring fuel and food prices andthe credit crunch, while failure would encourage protectionistsentiment and call into question the international community'sability to tackle problems like climate change.
