WTO chief sees bigger than expected trade contraction

PARIS (Reuters) - World trade volume is likely to contract by a record 10 percent this year, a "huge drop", rather than the 9 pct forecast by the World Trade Organisation in March, WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy said on Wednesday.

"That's the situation and I'm afraid I can't read any good news in my trade numbers," Lamy told Reuters Television.

Lamy said he was hearing from the WTO's 153 members that they wanted to conclude the long-running Doha round to free up world trade in 2010.