e-Commerce Moratorium

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News: The e-Commerce Moratorium is to be reconsidered for extension at the 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaounde, Cameroon.

About e-Commerce Moratorium

e-Commerce Moratorium
Source: WTO
  • The e-commerce moratorium is a global agreement among World Trade Organization members which bans customs duties being ​applied to electronic transmissions such as digital downloads and streaming.
  • First ‌adopted in: It was first ‌adopted in 1998 at the WTO’s Second Ministerial Conference in ​Geneva as part of a declaration to encourage early digital ⁠trade growth.
  • Coverage: It covers cross-border transmissions such as software downloads, e-books, music and movie streaming and video games.
  • Extension of moratorium: Originally, it was planned to be temporary, but the tariff moratorium has been renewed ‌roughly every two years at each WTO ministerial conference.
    • It was most recently extended at the 13th Ministerial Conference (2024).
    • It is to be reconsidered at the 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaounde, Cameroon.
  • India’s stand on extension: India believes that its extension would deprive it of tariff revenue to fund ‌infrastructure and close the digital divide.
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