The Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Yaoundé ended without a result.
Mar 30, 2026, 7:59 a.mMar 30, 2026, 7:59 a.m
Brazil defied the United States on Monday, causing a key moratorium on electronic transfers to expire immediately.
WTO Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria.Image: keystone
Like Switzerland, the USA traveled to this conference in Cameroon with the aim of achieving a lasting solution to this issue. This moratorium is by no means insignificant: it prevents taxation of electronic transmissions – from streaming and downloads to blueprints for 3D objects to email.
The USA used its diplomatic weight because it no longer wanted another two-year extension. A compromise over five years was on the table and seemed capable of consensus. Until Brazil, which demanded concessions in agriculture, blocked it.
The US’s offensive stance in the weeks before and during the ministerial conference was clearly criticized by civil society and several states. Other countries came with the question, “What can we give Donald Trump?” said a member of a Western delegation.
The USA “sees the moratorium as a test for the organization,” a Western diplomat previously told the Keystone-SDA news agency. Observers also noted that Washington was moving closer to the institution again after Donald Trump had repeatedly criticized it in recent years.
No roadmap for reform
This conflict caused the results of the ministerial conference to fail. An expert speaks of Brazilian retaliation in the customs dispute. The chairman of the conference, Cameroon’s Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana, however, referred to a lack of time: “We were sorely lacking time.”
According to a study, without the moratorium, industrialized countries could lose around 0.5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP), developing countries up to 2.5 percent. Emerging countries expect to forego significant revenue. However, the introduction of such taxes remains uncertain because, according to observers, many states do not have the necessary capacity.
Symbolic of the heated discussions on Sunday, lightning struck Yaoundé as failure became apparent. This duel almost pushed the actual core question into the background: a roadmap for reforming the WTO.
In a draft minimal ministerial declaration, the 166 members committed to continuing negotiations – with interim reports in July and December and twice in 2027. The aim is to present concrete recommendations by 2028.
Advances in Electronic Commerce
The present text fell far short of the ambitious ideas of the EU, China and Switzerland. Donald Trump’s administration, on the other hand, almost achieved the general declaration it was aiming for. The talks are to continue in Geneva. Over the course of four days, members also discussed whether more plurilateral agreements should be possible within the WTO in order to make the organization more flexible.
They also discussed the criteria and benefits for classifying themselves as a developing country, as well as issues of fairness. China is criticized by the USA and the EU for a lack of “reciprocity” in market access and for overcapacity, which is fueling exports and flooding European markets in particular.
For Africa, expectations for progress in development and agriculture were very high for this ministerial conference in Cameroon. Symbolizing the difficulty of reaching consensus, India maintained its refusal to bind the Investment Facilitation Agreement for Development to WTO rules. This agreement, approved by 129 countries, could increase investment by 9 percent and gross domestic product (GDP) by 1 percent over ten years, especially in poorer countries.
Switzerland and 65 other members, including the EU, opened the door to a possible future model for the WTO in the form of voluntary coalitions. On Saturday, they decided to move forward with the preliminary implementation of their e-commerce agreement. This reduces digital barriers to trade, particularly for SMEs, while continuing to try to integrate it into the organization’s rules and regulations. (sda)