WTO chief hopes members will restore lapsed ecommerce duties moratorium
Reuters March 30, 2026 03:57 PM
Synopsis

​The World ​Trade Organization chief said she hopes countries can restore the ecommerce moratorium after it lapsed during Monday talks. Without it, members could apply customs duties on electronic transmissions like downloads and streaming. She noted this takes time to set up and expects they will be able to restore it soon.

WTO chief Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
The World Trade Organization chief said she hopes countries will be able to restore ‌an ⁠ecommerce moratorium ⁠which lapsed during talks on Monday, enabling countries to be able to impose customs duties on electronic ⁠transmissions like ‌downloads and streaming.

"It means ⁠that if it lapses members can apply customs duties on electronic transmissions. But that takes time to set up ‌and then we are able to restore it. And ⁠we hope to be able to do that," WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala told reporters.
© Copyright @2026 LIDEA. All Rights Reserved.