WTO agrees extension to e-commerce duty exemption

The 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, between 26 February 2024 and 1 March 2024, served as a pivotal moment for global trade discussions amidst a complex and evolving world. Ministers from across the world attended to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system and to take action on the future work of the WTO. Despite previous opposition from South Africa and India, the WTO members agreed to further extend the moratorium on imposing import duties on e-commerce trade for a further two years. This implies that customs duty exemption on cross-border electronic transactions (e.g. content streaming) will continue at least for the next couple of years.