U.S. and India remain split on WTO e-commerce moratorium extension in World Economy News 31/03/2026 Trade ministers gathered in Cameroon for the World Trade Organization (WTO) summit have entered the final day of negotiations with no breakthrough on a critical moratorium regarding digital customs duties. The primary point of contention remains the extension of a long-standing ban on imposing tariffs on electronic transmissions, such as digital downloads and software. The current moratorium is set to expire this month, and the outcome of the talks is being viewed by many as a definitive test of the WTO’s relevance following a year of global trade turmoil and supply chain disruptions. The standoff: Permanence vs. temporary extension The negotiations are currently stalled by a significant gap between the positions of the United States and India. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has signaled that Washington is not interested in a temporary renewal, instead pushing for a permanent ban to ensure long-term market predictability. Conversely, Indian diplomats have indicated a willingness to accept only a two-year extension. While some Western diplomats are exploring a “pathway to permanence”, potentially a 10-year compromise, there is little consensus among the broader membership to go beyond the 24-month mark. Business leaders have warned that a failure to extend the moratorium would invite a wave of new duties, stripping away the regulatory certainty that has underpinned the digital economy for decades. U.S. officials have further cautioned that a lapse in the agreement could diminish Washington’s engagement with the trade body, with U.S. Ambassador Joseph Barloon noting that a permanent extension is vital for maintaining U.S. confidence in the organization’s effectiveness. Institutional reforms and subsidy transparency The e-commerce debate is unfolding alongside broader efforts to overhaul WTO rules, including making subsidy use more transparent and streamlining the consensus-based decision-making process. The U.S. and the European Union continue to argue that current frameworks, such as the “Most-Favored-Nation” principle, have been leveraged by China to their detriment. However, the reform efforts face stiff opposition from a handful of members who are blocking a detailed work plan, stating that such changes could erode the body’s founding principles. As the clock runs down in Yaoundé, the focus for markets is on whether the WTO can avoid a lame duck scenario. A failure to secure the e-commerce moratorium would not only trigger immediate concerns over digital trade costs but could also signal a deeper fragmentation of the rules-based international trading system going forward. Source: Investing.com 2026-03-31 hellenicshippingnews... window.___gcfg = {lang: 'en-US'}; (function(w, d, s) { function go(){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], load = function(url, id) { if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.src = url; js.id = id; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }; load('//connect.facebook.net/en/all.js#xfbml=1', 'fbjssdk'); load('https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js', 'gplus1js'); load('//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js', 'tweetjs'); } if (w.addEventListener) { w.addEventListener("load", go, false); } else if (w.attachEvent) { w.attachEvent("onload",go); } }(window, document, 'script')); tweet Share