WTO E-commerce Duties Moratorium Expires Amid Deadlocked Talks

African and some regional outlets stress that several developing countries see the end of the moratorium as a way to gain more control over taxing foreign digital firms. They report that governments in Africa and elsewhere argue they have lost tariff revenue for years while big platforms from richer countries expanded. They expect a debate inside many developing countries over whether to introduce e-commerce duties now that WTO rules no longer block them.

• •African trade officials argue that keeping the moratorium would have locked in revenue losses for poorer countries.
• •Some African commentators say the moratorium mainly benefited large US and European digital companies.
• •Officials in a number of developing countries contend that new e-commerce duties could support domestic digital industries.
• •Regional reports highlight that African governments now have more room to design their own digital tax policies.
• •African outlets note that WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala still urges members to keep digital trade open despite the lapse.