Global E-Commerce Rules Agreed by 80 Countries

After five years of negotiations, approximately 80 countries have reached an agreement on global digital commerce rules, including the recognition of e-signatures and protections against online fraud. Coordinated by Australia, Japan, and Singapore, the “stabilized text” has been praised by the European Union as “historic news” and by Britain as “groundbreaking.” The agreement aims to digitalize customs documents and processes, recognize e-documents and e-signatures, and establish legal safeguards against online fraud and misleading product claims.

The agreement also includes measures to limit spam, protect personal data, and support the least-developed countries. Ninety-one of the World Trade Organization’s 166 members, including China, Canada, Argentina, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia, have participated in the negotiations. Despite this progress, the United States has not yet joined the agreement, citing the need for further work on wording related to essential security interests.

U.S. WTO ambassador Maria Pagan acknowledged the new text as an important step forward but emphasized the need for additional work to resolve remaining issues. She expressed a willingness to collaborate with interested members to find solutions and move the negotiation to a timely conclusion. Other countries, such as Brazil, Indonesia, and Turkey, also have reservations, primarily on minor points.

The challenge remains to formalize the accord as an official WTO agreement, which requires consensus among all WTO members. India and South Africa have been particularly critical of agreements that do not involve all members, posing a potential obstacle to achieving full consensus.

Source: Eighty nations strike deal over e-commerce, but lack US backing