WTO MC14: No agreement on the e-commerce moratorium

The WTO remains deadlocked: the Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaoundé unfortunately concluded without an agreement being reached on extending the moratorium on e-commerce.

The moratorium has therefore expired for the time being, which has increased uncertainty in digital trade. Business came to this ministerial looking for decisions that would rebuild confidence in the trading system and provide a clearer basis for planning and investment. Instead, the outcome risks generating yet more policy uncertainty at exactly the wrong moment from a real-economy perspective. As no agreement was reached on extending the moratorium, no significant progress was made either on the fundamental reform plan for the WTO.

For the Swiss economy, particularly companies in the digital sector, this translates into increased risks, greater complexity and potentially higher costs abroad.