Group of WTO states agrees not to impose e-commerce duties

April 2, 2026 11:48 AM EDT

Delegates attend the World Trade Organisation (WTO) 14th ministerial meeting in Yaounde, Cameroon, March 28, 2026. WTO/Handout via REUTERS

GENEVA, April ‌2 (Reuters) - A ​group ​of states has agreed not to impose e-commerce customs duties ‌among themselves after World Trade ⁠Organization members failed to agree on an ‌extension to a ‌long-running moratorium, a document showed on Thursday.

Days of talks among trade ​ministers in Cameroon's capital Yaounde broke up on Monday with ⁠Brazil and Turkey blocking a bid to extend ​the WTO's e-commerce moratorium in place for 28 years.

The 23 countries ​which signed the ‌agreement included the United States, Britain, Japan and Mexico. ⁠The WTO has 166 members and requires consensus for global negotiations to ⁠be concluded.

The topic is set to be ​raised again by the broader membership at a meeting in Geneva in early ‌May. It is not immediately clear whether any countries ‌have already brought in new ⁠duties which could ‌apply to ​digital downloads and streaming.

(Reporting by Emma Farge; Editing by Alex ‌Richardson)



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