Trade Ministers at Impasse

Trade ministers from the European Union, the US, Brazil, India and Australia said Tuesday they were unable to agree on how to standardize tariffs on agricultural products worth $600 billion, a prerequisite for progress in World Trade Organization talks. After three months of talks, the EU remains the key holdout, arguing that the 25-nation bloc would suffer disproportionately large tariff cuts. The disagreement is holding up progress on a broader accord to open markets to industrial products and commercial services.