Obama’s high-tech deal with China in trouble as WTO talks break down

GENEVA: A China-United States agreement to scrap tariffs on high-tech items that was hailed as a major achievement of President Barack Obama’s November visit to Beijing fell apart on Friday (Saturday in Manila) during negotiations in Geneva because of differences between China and South Korea, diplomats here said.

The deal would have eliminated tariffs on such products as medical devices, global positioning systems and video game consoles worth more than $1 trillion in global trade annually. But after eight days of talks here, representatives of about 80 countries adjourned without an agreement.