Plurilaterals

World Trade Organization participants in the plurilateral e-commerce initiative are planning to push for the formal incorporation of their agreement into the WTO framework early next year, although the effort is likely to face opposition from a few countries. The co-conveners of the joint statement initiative, or JSI, on e-commerce announced a “stabilised” text in July and are aiming to formalize the agreement next year, according to a communication earlier this month that was raised at a General Council meeting...

Trade ministers from G20 countries have endorsed a set of principles for using trade to support sustainable development, a top priority under Brazil’s G20 presidency. Ministers gathered in Brasilia this week also expressed support for expanding the role of women in trade and called to intensify work toward reforming the World Trade Organization, in addition to setting out the sustainable development principles, according to a proposal agreed to by the ministers. The proposal is expected to be adopted as an...

The “middle powers” will need to take an increasingly leading role in forging a future vision for the World Trade Organization and pushing for results amid ongoing geopolitical tensions – and a reluctance among major economies, including the U.S., to play the leadership roles they once did, analysts argued at the WTO’s Public Forum this week. Across two sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday , various analysts called for a WTO that is more flexible and adaptable to global challenges –...

World Trade Organization members participating in the plurilateral e-commerce negotiations on Friday released what they’re calling a “stabilised text” that reflects a “balanced and inclusive outcome,” but the U.S., among a handful of other participants, has declined to sign on, citing concerns related to the privacy and security exceptions. The co-conveners of the negotiations – Australia, Japan and Singapore – announced the conclusion of the technical talks earlier this year and have periodically released new versions of a proposed agreement...

The World Trade Organization’s plurilateral discussions on e-commerce offer the best opportunity for members to address rules on cross-border data flows, data localization, source code and cryptography -- all areas in which the talks are on hold, according to one of the negotiations’ co-conveners. Negotiations on data flows, source code and cryptography provisions were paused after the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative last October withdrew its support for provisions in those areas, but work has continued on other issues...

The newest revised text in the plurilateral World Trade Organization e-commerce talks, which features some amendments on key issues like customs duties and development and removes one article entirely, should be considered as an “overall package” as participants consult with capital officials, its drafters said this week. The new draft, circulated by co-conveners Australia, Japan and Singapore on Monday, comes after the conclusion of “technical” talks last month. The co-conveners have urged participants to work with their capitals with the...

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s decision to withdraw support for digital trade proposals at the World Trade Organization contradicts the Treasury Department’s goals in international tax negotiations, several Republican members of the House Ways & Means Committee charged this week. USTR in October withdrew support for proposals in plurilateral e-commerce talks at the WTO, including a ban on data localization. But foreign data localization policies incentivize U.S. companies to invest abroad, Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) told Treasury Secretary...