UAE: Suspension of e-commerce tariffs extended by 2 more years at WTO

Members of the World Trade Organization have agreed to extend a moratorium on tariffs on electronic commerce for another two years at a high level meeting, according to a document on Friday.

"We agree to maintain the current practice of not imposing customs duties on electronic transmissions until the 14th Session of the Ministerial Conference. The moratorium and the Work Programme will expire on that date," the document, posted on the WTO website said.

Ministerial conferences are held every two years.

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The decision represents a significant achievement for the MC13 , which also saw extensive discussions on key issues shaping the future of global trade.

Under a WTO moratorium, countries do not impose customs duties on cross-border e-commerce transactions. Since 1998, WTO member nations have periodically agreed to extend the moratorium. The last extension was agreed upon during the previous MC in June 2022.

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