WTO e-commerce participants aim to conclude talks by end of year

The participants in the plurilateral World Trade Organization e-commerce negotiations are pushing to wrap up the talks by the end of 2023, although several difficult issues – including privacy and cross-border data flows – remain outstanding. The plurilateral talks, known as a joint statement initiative, were launched in 2019. The parties to the talks cover more than 90 percent of global trade; they include the U.S., the European Union, China, Japan and dozens of other WTO members. The negotiations are...