Trade ministers from around the world have put what may be the final nail in the coffin of the long-stalled Doha round of negotiations, clearing the way for the World Trade Organisation to start focusing on smaller agreements with a better chance of success.

In a victory for the US and EU, which have been pushing for a new path forward for the WTO, trade ministers from its 162 member countries meeting in Nairobi on Saturday failed to “reaffirm” the Doha Round for the first time since it was launched amid great fanfare in 2001. They also opened the door to the discussion of new issues at the WTO such as the digital economy and investment.

The moves came alongside approval for a smaller package of measures including a ban on export subsidies for agricultural products, new guidelines for the financing of agricultural exports and new access to developed markets for poor cotton-producing countries.