United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer sharply criticized the World Trade Organization after its ministerial conference failed to agree on extending a long-standing moratorium on customs duties for cross-border e‑commerce.
Speaking Monday, Greer said the outcome confirmed his skepticism about the WTO’s future role in shaping global trade policy and indicated Washington will look to alternative arrangements with like-minded partners. He said the WTO “will play only a limited role in future global trade policy efforts.”
The four-day 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon, ended without major deals and exposed deep divisions among members. Since 1998, the WTO moratorium has prevented taxes on cross-border digital transmissions such as downloads and streaming. That exemption has been repeatedly renewed at past ministerials, but this week the moratorium lapsed for the first time after negotiations between the US and Brazil stalled.
Delegates worked through Sunday trying to reconcile Brazil’s initial two-year proposal with the US push for a permanent extension. Negotiators briefly drafted a compromise for a four-year extension with a one-year sunset buffer; Brazil then proposed a four-year extension with a mid-term review. Neither option attracted the necessary support, and ultimately Brazil and Turkey blocked the extension.
In response, Greer said the US has obtained commitments from dozens of countries, including nearly all key US trading partners, not to apply tariffs to US digital transmissions. He urged trading partners to join a plurilateral e‑commerce moratorium agreement outside the WTO framework if the organization cannot secure a global deal.
Deputy US Trade Representative and ambassador to the WTO Joseph Barloon said the US will continue to press for reforms and other priorities at the WTO. WTO officials said talks will resume at the organization’s Geneva headquarters and are expected to continue at least through May. Barloon added that Washington will build on recent progress while acknowledging the limits of what can be achieved within the WTO.
Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru