Introduction

In January 2019, 76 WTO members agreed in principle to launch plurilateral negotiations on trade-related aspects of electronic commerce (e-commerce), with the stated objective of achieving a “high standard outcome.” These 76 members represented over 90 per cent of world trade. The plurilateral negotiations were the culmination of a long process begun at the WTO's 11th Ministerial Conference (MC11) in December 2017, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The e-commerce initiative was the first of the four MC11 plurilateral initiatives (i.e., investment facilitation, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and services domestic regulation) to reach the launch of formal negotiations.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Partnerships for the Goals