America’s all-consuming debate over healthcare reform is threatening to snuff out efforts to conclude the Doha round of world trade negotiations, Europe’s top trade chief has warned.

Baroness Ashton, the European Union’s trade commissioner, welcomed recent progress on Doha, which would reduce tariffs on a broad range of goods and services, after ministers from 30 countries met in New Delhi earlier this month and pledged to complete the long-stalled negotiation in 2010.