Latest Doha Deadline Looms, But With Little Consequence

When is a deadline really a deadline? In the Doha Round of trade talks, maybe never.

This week, more than 50 trade ministers will meet in Geneva for what is billed as the last chance for a trade deal designed to boost global growth and alleviate poverty in poor countries. With big divisions remaining between the players, an outline agreement this week looks unlikely, even as leaders such as President Bush have recommitted to getting one.

"I don't see how they [can] get it done," says Susan Sechler, the former U.S. agriculture official who is now U.S. director of trade ...