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Map of the Month

E-Commerce draft decisions ahead of the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference

by Cedric Amon

Map of the Month 03/2026

The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) will be held 26–29 March in Yaoundé, Cameroon.​ In 2024, members agreed to extend the ‘practice of not imposing’ customs duties on electronic transmissions until MC14 or 31 March 2026 (whichever comes first), when it will expire.​ The so-called E-Commerce Moratorium has existed since 1998, but renewals have become increasingly contested.​ Given the importance of digital trade, most members want greater predictability in the digital economy.​ Based on draft Ministerial Declarations and submissions to the WTO General Council: 19 members support making the moratorium permanent; 139 support at least extending it until the next Ministerial Conference.
March 24, 2026 Order details

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World map showing member states of the World Trade Organization (WTO), highlighted in different colours depending on their position on the e-commerce moratorium. Based on draft ministerial statements and submissions to the WTO General Council, 139 members support extending the moratorium until the next Ministerial Conference (light blue), and 19 members even advocate for a permanent moratorium (dark blue). The countries shown in grey are WTO member states that have not submitted any written or publicly available statements on the matter since October 2025.
World map showing member states of the World Trade Organization (WTO), highlighted in different colours depending on their position on the e-commerce moratorium. Based on draft ministerial statements and submissions to the WTO General Council, 139 members support extending the moratorium until the next Ministerial Conference (light blue), and 19 members even advocate for a permanent moratorium (dark blue). The countries shown in grey are WTO member states that have not submitted any written or publicly available statements on the matter since October 2025.

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KAS Map of the Month March 2026, E-Commerce
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Contact

Cedric Amon

Cedric Amon
Research Associate
cedric.amon@kas.de +41 22 748 70 74

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About this series

The "Map of the Month", a new series of the Multilateral Dialogue Geneva of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, uses maps to illustrate global trends and the role of Germany and Europe in the world on a monthly basis.
Andrea Ellen Ostheimer
Andrea Ostheimer
Director KAS Genf Office
andrea.ostheimer@kas.de +41 79 318 9841

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