WTO e-commerce tariff moratorium set to expire March 31 as member nations prepare to fight over renewal

The World Trade Organization's 28-year-old moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions is set to expire on March 31, just days after the organization's March 26-29 ministerial conference where member nations will debate whether to extend it. Developed countries generally favor continuing the moratorium, arguing it has enabled digital trade to flourish, while developing nations including India, South Africa, and Indonesia argue they should have the right to tax digital trade to fund domestic infrastructure and reduce inequality. General indications suggest the moratorium will likely be extended again, though the debate over whether it should be permanent, temporary, or scrapped entirely is expected to drag on for years.