Interim Arrangements for the WTO Agreement on Electronic Commerce Adopted

The Agreement on Electronic Commerce (hereinafter referred to as the “E‑Commerce Agreement”) sets out common rules for global digital trade. Since the publication of the text of the Agreement in July 2024, efforts have been made to incorporate the Agreement into the WTO Agreement; however, consensus among all WTO Members required for such incorporation has not yet been achieved.

The Interim Arrangements for the Agreement on Electronic Commerce are intended to implement the E‑Commerce Agreement among participating Members until its incorporation into the WTO Agreement is realized. On this occasion, the Declaration on Interim Arrangements for the Agreement on Electronic Commerce was issued by 66 WTO Members, including Japan (hereinafter referred to as the “Participants”). These Participants will now proceed with their required domestic procedures for acceptance of the E‑Commerce Agreement and aim to implement the Agreement.

In a joint press release by the co‑convenors, Mr. Yamada Kenji, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, said: “[The adoption of the Interim Arrangements for the Agreement on Electronic Commerce] is a historic step in implementing global digital trade rules, which also serves as a successful milestone of the WTO’s rule-making function in plurilateral format. Japan is honored to have contributed as a co-convenor. The Agreement on Electronic Commerce is expected to enhance predictability for businesses and reduce business costs.”

Through the early implementation of the E‑Commerce Agreement, digital trade, an essential driver of economic growth, is expected to be further promoted among all Participants, both developed or developing. In particular, the implementation of a permanent prohibition on the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions, which has long been sought by industry, represents an extremely significant commercial outcome.

As a co‑convenor, Japan will continue to encourage all other WTO Members to participate in the E‑Commerce Agreement and, in cooperation with participating countries and regions, will pursue the incorporation of the Agreement into the WTO Agreement.

Related Materials

• Joint press release by the Co-Convenors(PDF:448KB)
• Declaration on Interim Arrangements for the Agreement on Electronic Commerce(PDF:154KB)

Related Link

• Stabilised Text Achieved in WTO Joint Statement Initiative on Electronic Commerce (July 26, 2024)

Division in Charge

Digital Trade Policy Office, Trade Policy Bureau