Press Releases
Co-Convenors issue Joint Statement on WTO Electronic Commerce Negotiations
July 26, 2024
On 26 July, Japan, Australia, and Singapore as Co-Convenors issued a joint statement on behalf of participants on the electronic commerce (PDF) 
negotiation of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In the statement, Co-Convenors announced that after five years of negotiations, which began in 2019, participants had achieved stabilised text on the Agreement on Electronic Commerce and published the text.
- Japan welcomes this meaningful achievement which confirms the outcome of the negotiations to date, contributes to the development of global digital trade rules, and marks a successful example of the WTO's rule-making function.
- The stabilised text, which comprises 38 articles, includes the following disciplines: (1) trade facilitation of electronic commerce by digitalizing trade documents and promoting electronic payments including through the transparency of the regulatory environment, (2) ensuring an open electronic commerce environment through the prohibition of the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions, open government data, and access to and use of the Internet, (3) enhancing trust in electronic commerce including through the rules on cybersecurity, online consumer protection and personal data protection. It is expected to enhance predictability and reduce business costs, as well as to contribute to a safe and secure environment for consumers.
- As for the future process, Japan, as a Co-Convenor, will work with participants towards incorporating the Agreement on Electronic Commerce into the WTO legal framework.