The World Trade Organization (WTO) concluded its 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) without consensus on extending the eCommerce Moratorium, resulting in its lapse. Introduced in 1998, the moratorium has prevented customs duties on electronic transmissions and has been central to the growth of global digital trade, especially for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups.
Ahead of MC14, the Association for Competitive Technologies (ACT ) led a global advocacy effort to unify MSME and startup voices in support of making the moratorium permanent. As part of this initiative, ACT engaged organizations worldwide, including the Africa ICT Alliance, to build a broad coalition of support.
AfICTA responded by endorsing and co-signing a joint letter to the WTO as championed by ACT | The App Association, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), and World Innovation, Technology and Services Alliance (WITSA), reinforcing the importance of a duty-free digital trade environment for innovation, startup growth, and inclusive participation in the global digital economy. This collaboration highlights strong alignment between global and African industry stakeholders on the need for policy certainty in digital trade.
Despite the lapse, over 20 WTO members, including the United States, European Union, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia, have committed to maintaining a duty-free approach, while 66 members continue negotiations under the Joint Statement Initiative on eCommerce.
While uncertainty remains, the coordinated advocacy led by ACT, supported by AfICTA and other partners, underscores a sustained global push toward securing a permanent and binding moratorium.
