This Moratorium was first agreed by WTO members in 1998 and has been renewed periodically since then.  It was last rolled over at the WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in February 2024 – but, under strong pressure from some WTO members, specific wording signals its termination at the next Ministerial Conference in 2026, MC14, or by 31 March that year. This has significant implications for digital trade, including the export of creative products and services to foreign markets.

A short guide to the moratorium, prepared for WeCreate by digital trade expert Steph Honey, is available here >