Discussions around the future of the e-commerce moratorium and wider reforms of the World Trade Organization (WTO) are going to be the major points of discussions for India in the upcoming ministerial meeting at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, a senior government official said.
Officials indicated that detailed discussions on the aspects of the long-standing e-commerce moratorium will be at the core of the discussion, with several countries seeking more structured engagement on its continuation. The current moratorium is set to expire at MC14 or on March 31, 2026, whichever is earlier, unless members agree to extend it.
Agriculture and fisheries are also expected to be covered, and India is expecting some guidance on the same.
India is expected to play a constructive role across all areas of deliberations. “We expect India to play a constructive role… WTO needs to be strengthened and be more relevant and effective,” the official said. India aims to engage constructively across issues, with officials underlining the need to strengthen
the WTO and enhance its relevance in a rapidly evolving global trade landscape.
Sources also indicated that there are chances of possible deliberations on whether a concrete roadmap for broader WTO reforms will be formally taken up at the next ministerial. Another issue likely to be discussed is the proposal to bring the Joint Statement Initiative under Annex 4 of the WTO framework that requires explicit consensus among members. Fundamental questions, including whether investment-related issues fall within the WTO’s mandate, continue to divide the member nations.
“There is a proposal to see whether that can get into Annex 4. Till now there has been no addition to Annex 4. Only when WTO conclusions were finalised, there were two Annex 4 agreements – one on civil aviation and one on public procurement -- which was something like grandfathering of what was
already existing at that time,” added the official.
The 14th Ministerial Conference, or WTO Ministerial Conference MC14, will take place from March 26 to 29 in Yaoundé, Cameroon. An Indian delegation led by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal along with other bureaucrats will be there at the Conference.