POTSDAM, Germany, June 22 U.S. trade representative Susan Schwab said she was surprised at the "rigid" stance of India and Brazil in helping doom the G4 trade talks in Germany. In an interview in Potsdam with the Financial Times, Schwab said the two nations' fear of growing Chinese imports was behind their decision to prompt collapse of the talks Thursday. The United States had long been a strong advocate of the international trade issues.
She told the Financial Times India had convinced Brazil to stick to a strategy that went directly against its own economic interests.
"Brazil chose (developing country) solidarity over its economic interests," she said. Schwab indicated she felt that neither country had figured out how to provide leadership to the developing world, the newspaper said.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
