A total of 91 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including the EU, finalised negotiations on new rules for e-commerce on Friday 26 July. They have agreed on a multilateral agreement which they will now submit to the other WTO members for approval.
The aim is to facilitate digital transactions. For example, it abolishes customs duties on all electronic transmissions, as is already the case with the moratorium on e-commerce, which expires in 2026.
The agreement also strengthens online consumer protection, by combating spam and ensuring the recognition of electronic signatures and contracts.
Once adopted by consensus by all WTO members, the new rules will apply only to signatories to the agreement. The current 91 participating countries, including the EU, but also the United States and China, account for 90% of world trade.
“This agreement will benefit businesses and consumers, contribute to integrating developing and least developed countries in the global digital economy, and help bridge the digital divide. The EU sees great value in the agreement published today, and will work with all involved parties towards its incorporation into the WTO framework. We call on all WTO members to do the same”, declared the European Commissioner for Trade, Valdis Dombrovskis.
The EU is, for example, a fervent defender of the moratorium on e-commerce, in the face of developing countries that wanted to terminate it.
See the plurilateral agreement: https://aeur.eu/f/d5f (Original version in French by Léa Marchal)