E-Commerce Moratorium

Category: Economy / International Trade

  • The WTO e-commerce moratorium concerns the non-imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions.
  • It originated in the 1998 WTO Declaration on Global Electronic Commerce.
  • WTO members repeatedly extended the moratorium.
  • At MC14, members failed to reach consensus on extending the moratorium.
  • Consequently, the moratorium and the WTO Work Programme on Electronic Commerce lapsed on 30 March 2026.
  • The issue involves debates concerning customs revenue, digital trade and policy space, particularly for developing countries.
  • This should not be confused with a ban on taxation of digital businesses generally; the moratorium specifically concerns customs duties on electronic transmissions.

Prelims Pointers: Organisation → WTO | Origin → 1998 | Subject → Customs duties on electronic transmissions | Lapsed → 30 March 2026.