WTO meet concludes: No consensus on extension of e-commerce duty moratorium
The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) fourteenth Ministerial Conference (MC14) concluded on Monday in Yaounde, Cameroon, with members failing to resolve the contentious issue of extending the moratorium on customs duties on electronic commerce, such as digital downloads and streaming, reports The Hindu.
In May 1998, WTO members agreed for the first time not to impose customs duties on electronic transmissions for two years, a moratorium that has been extended biennially since then. Its expiry would open the door to imposing tariffs on e-commerce.
Talks on the duty ban reached a deadlock between Brazil and the U.S. While some member countries opposed an extension or favour two years, the U.S. was pushing for a longer duration of five years.
The existing moratoriums related to electronic transmissions and TRIPS non-violation are scheduled to expire on March 31, 2026.
The 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) of the World Trade Organization (WTO) began on March 26 in the capital city of Cameroon.
Though the talks were scheduled to end on March 29, they were slightly extended and concluded on March 30.
Cameroon’s Minister of Trade Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, the Chair of MC14, said Trade Ministers worked to conclude as many issues as possible across various areas of negotiation during the four-day meeting.
However, he said “we ran out of time” with regard to several outstanding issues, such as the WTO’s work programme on electronic commerce and the continuation of the existing moratoriums on customs duties for electronic transmissions and non-violation complaints under the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
It was agreed to continue the talks on these issues in Geneva, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) headquarters.
Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala welcomed the progress in discussions on a work programme for advancing ongoing talks on WTO reform, the decision on advancing work on further disciplines on harmful fisheries subsidies, and other issues.
The WTO, in a statement, said Ministers agreed to continue engaging in negotiations on fisheries subsidies, aiming to make recommendations to the 15th Ministerial Conference.
The Ministerial Conference, held every two years, is the highest decision-making body of the WTO.
Nearly 2,000 trade officials, including more than 90 Ministers, attended the MC14. It was only the second time the MC was held in Africa. The MC10 was held in Nairobi in 2015
