BCC Welcomes MC13 Outcomes But More To Do 

Responding to the outcomes from the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 13^th Ministerial Conference, William Bain, Head of Trade Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said:   

“These were difficult and robust discussions between the world’s trade ministers, key officials, and the WTO, but they were ultimately successful. 

“The main objectives have been achieved. These include an extension of the moratorium on electronic transmission of goods and services, maintaining the current application of the agreement on intellectual property rights, and the Joint Initiative on Services Domestic Regulation entering into full effect. 

“We welcome this progress but there is no disguising, that with protectionism on the rise, there is much more to do. We would urge all states to work towards a full e-commerce agreement by the time of the next Ministerial Conference in Canada in 2026.  

“It is also crucial that we swift action on acceptable reforms to the appellate body so the fair application of the global rules-based order on trade can be realised by the end of this year. 

“The hard yards are yet to come, to use these new agreements to boost exports in goods and services globally. We must realise their potential for sustainable development, and improving the role in global trade of women and micro, small and medium sized enterprises.”