Members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on Saturday failed to break the long-time deadlock in the Doha Round of trade liberalization talks, putting the whole talks into real crisis.

"We are now in a crisis situation ... It will now be more difficult to conclude this Round by the end of this year," WTO chief Pascal Lamy told a formal meeting of the Trade Negotiations Committee (TNC).

Some 60 trade and agricultural ministers from key WTO members have been negotiating in Geneva since Thursday, with an aim to reach agreement on agricultural and industrial trade, which is vital for concluding the Doha Round by the end of the year.

But the negotiations have to come to an end on Saturday, one day ahead of schedule, due to deep differences among major players and their unwillingness to make concessions.

The U.S. has refused to further cut its trade-distorting domestic subsidies for farmers, resisting pressure from the EU and the G20 of major developing countries.

While the EU and the G20 also stick to their position on market access, insisting that the U.S. should offer more on the table.

There is wide sense among WTO members that the Doha Round is " on the brink of failure", Lamy told reporters following the TNC meeting.

But he said the situation was not yet hopeless, adding that the differences can still be bridged.

He said negotiations among WTO members would go on in different modes in the next few weeks, possibly including shuttle diplomacy and high level consultations.

Negotiations will first start with the Group of Six, namely the U.S., the EU, Japan, Australia, Brazil, India, which represent both developed and developing WTO members.

Source: Xinhua