The suspended world trade negotiations are to be informally revived in Geneva this morning.

The move has been announced to Asia Pacific trade ministers.

Head of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Pascal Lamy has told the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers he will order today's restart of the five-year-old Doha round, which was suspended in July because of deadlocks.

Australia's Trade Minister Warren Truss says the informal resumption is critical to saving the Doha round.

"It will be important that we don't just begin at the point where the previous discussions broke down," he said.

"There will need to be substantial offers on the table."

Mr Truss says Europe needs to cut farm tariffs by another 5 per cent and the United States has to reduce farm subsidies by another $5 billion, with developing countries making equal concessions on market access.