WTO members bypass opposition to introduce world’s first baseline digital trade rules

YAOUNDE: A group of World Trade Organization members agreed on Saturday (Mar 28) to sidestep adoption hurdles for the world’s first baseline on digital trade rules, opting to bring the agreement into force among consenting participants, the WTO said.

In recent years, efforts by a group of countries to fold the E-Commerce Agreement into the WTO rulebook were twice blocked by dissenting members. The pact aims to foster an open environment for digital trade.

The push to accelerate entry into force, among members who represent 70 per cent of global trade, stems from mounting frustration over those obstructions, a senior diplomat told Reuters. 

Under WTO rules, plurilateral agreements among subsets of members require consensus. 

At the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in Cameroon, 66 members settled on an interim arrangement to activate the deal within their countries while pursuing broader incorporation into the WTO framework.

Singapore’s Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu said the country welcomes this “pivotal milestone”, adding that its early implementation will “unlock opportunities for our people and businesses in the digital economy”.

Japan’s State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Yamada Kenji, hailed it as a “historic step” toward global digital trade rules.

UK Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle also hailed the move.

“As the first global digital trade deal, this will make trade cheaper, faster and more secure for businesses around the world,” Kyle said.