ICC welcomes new WTO e-commerce deal

ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO said:

“The conclusion of the e-commerce joint statement agreement is a very welcome step towards modernising global trade rules in line with the realities of today’s digital economy. On behalf of the global business community, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to the co-convenors of the negotiations – Australia, Singapore and Japan – for their leadership in delivering what is a very welcome outcome. 

“From a global perspective, the agreement offers significant potential to address barriers to the growth of cross-border e-commerce and accelerate the adoption of digitalized trade processes – as well as reinforcing protections against customs duties being applied to data flows. 

“While we appreciate that some governments have yet to explicitly back the agreement, the deal nevertheless represents an important milestone in fostering a global environment in which small businesses can fully leverage digital technologies to grow and create new jobs through trade. 

“We encourage all World Trade Organization members to support the expeditious integration of this outcome into the WTO’s architecture – and encourage them to rapidly pursue new discussions on vital digital trade issues not covered by the new text, including the treatment of cross-border data flows.  

“The new joint statement agreement is a tremendous first step to maximizing the benefits of digital trade. We now need to keep moving forward.”