WTO members are meeting in Cameroon to decide the future of the e-commerce moratorium, a longstanding agreement banning customs duties on digital transmissions like software downloads, streaming, and e-books. Four competing proposals are on the table: the ACP Group and Brazil want a temporary extension until the next ministerial conference, while the US and a Switzerland-led group push for a permanent extension. Developed nations with large digital economies argue the moratorium ensures stability for global digital trade, while developing countries like India oppose it, claiming it deprives them of tariff revenue needed for infrastructure. An UNCTAD estimate put potential revenue losses for developing nations at $10 billion in 2017, though an OECD study suggests VAT on digital services could offset much of that loss.
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