Two months from the Fourteenth Ministerial Conference (CM14) of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which will be held from March 26-29 in Yaoundé, Cameroon (Africa), Members intensify discussions on electronic commerce within the framework of the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce.
This was reported by the WTO following a meeting held this Wednesday (28.01.2026) in Geneva, in which delegations exchanged views on the possibility of reaching a consensus on this matter during CM14, as well as on the WTO moratorium on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions, one of the central themes of the agenda.
The moratorium, at a crucial stage of the debate
It should be recalled that this moratorium has been renewed at every WTO Ministerial Conference since 1998. However, it was the subject of extensive negotiations during the Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13), held in 2024 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Asia). Finally, the Members agreed to extend it until 31 March 2026 or until the next Ministerial Conference, whichever comes first.
According to the WTO, the facilitator of the Work Programme on Electronic Commerce, Ambassador Richard Brown (Jamaica), recalled that since November Members have begun to examine two proposals text-based: one presented by the Group of Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP), and another poThe United States, along with Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Paraguay. In his report to the General Council in December, Brown had urged delegations to reflect on both texts and on the progress made so far.
In that context, the ambassador stressed that “with CM14 just two months away, it is crucial to focus efforts in Geneva to find points of convergence on the elements that Members wish to see reflected in a possible ministerial decision, which expresses the collective aspirations regarding how electronic trade should be addressed within the WTO.”
The discussions focused, in particular, on the possible extension of the moratorium and the need to reinvigorate the Work Programme, with the aim of making it more effective and with a development-oriented approach, the WTO detailed.
These discussions are taking place against a backdrop of the growing importance of the digital economy, which has prompted countries to deepen cooperation on e-commerce and negotiate rules aimed at strengthening openness, predictability, and trust in digital trade. While much of the rulemaking is currently underway at the bilateral and regional levels, the debates at the WTO are particularly important due to their global scope.
During the meeting, Members shared their positions on the two proposals under discussion, and expressed their willingness to continue working intensively with a view to achieving a significant outcome at CM14, which will be held at the end of March. The next meeting was scheduled for March 2nd., in a prior and decisive stage of the negotiation process.
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