EU trade chief regrets US counterpart's departure

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson regretted Tuesday that US Trade Representative Rob Portman had been nominated to a new job at a pivotal moment in WTO talks.

"We will of course manage without him, but at this stage in the (trade negotiation) round, it would have been easier to manage with him," Mandelson said.

World Trade Organisation negotiators are struggling to meet a deadline of the end of this month to thrash out the outlines of a liberalisation deal on the so-called "Doha Round", and then to finalize an overall agreement by the end of the year.

US President George W. Bush on Tuesday nominated deputy US Trade Representative Susan Schwab to take over from Portman, who was named head of the Office of Management and Budget.

"I have very much enjoyed working with Rob Portman and I shall be sorry to see him go from this post," Mandelson said.

"I look forward to working with his successor, Susan Schwab whom I know well," he added.