A sharp division has emerged at the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference currently being held in Cameroon over the continuation of the e-commerce moratorium on tariffs, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), a think tank, said on Saturday.She noted that while the United States seeks a permanent extension of the moratorium, India and many developing countries oppose the move, citing concerns about loss of revenue and political restrictions.“There is a sharp division on whether to halt e-commerce tariffs. A temporary settlement for 2-4 years appears to be the most likely outcome,” GTRI said.The third day of the Fourteenth Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (MC14) in Yaoundé stands out as a crucial one, with discussions taking place across four main tracks – fisheries support, investment facilitation, e-commerce and agriculture.
Regarding the China-led Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) agreement, pressure on India is expected to intensify during the “green room” meetings of small groups, GTRI founder Ajay Srivastava said.He said: “India’s concern is not related to the agreement itself as much as it is related to the precedent it sets, which opens the door to multilateral deals that were once an integral part of the World Trade Organization, and were like Trojan horses that are gradually reshaping the multilateral character of the institution.”
He added that limited progress in supporting fisheries is likely as divisions between members persist.“With tensions spilling over into digital trade, the International Development Forum and multilateral agreements, today’s discussions are set to determine whether the 14th Congress will end with a modest settlement or reveal deeper divisions within the WTO,” Srivastava said.
