Release of The E-commerce Moratorium & Women

The E-commerce Moratorium is a 25-year-old trade policy that prohibits the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions, which was agreed to and regularly renewed by the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). During the last WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12), the continuation of this policy was in doubt. A lengthy debate resulted in its conditional renewal until the upcoming Ministerial Conference (MC13) that will take place in Abu Dhabi, in February 2024. 

After introducing the importance of applying a gender lens to the E-commerce Moratorium debate in a publication presented to the WTO in 2022, the TradeExperettes proceeded to further explore its impacts on women – including women-led or owned businesses, women working in the digital economy, as well as the effect on their livelihoods – and the possible consequences of the discontinuation of this trade policy. This study is based on research and discussions with experts, women leaders and business owners, and associations’ representatives from Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia and the Pacific that were held by webinar and one-on-one interviews during the spring of 2023. 

The exercise revealed that women have been using digitally delivered services to fuel their jobs and businesses, and that these services were key for their survival or re-invention during the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussions also showed that the E-commerce Moratorium is deeply embedded in how these women think about their business opportunities and it has been instrumental in the adoption of digital services by women-led or owned businesses by keeping costs low, creating a level playing field for firms and workers in developing countries, and providing opportunities to participate in international markets. While the evidence collected is largely anecdotal and more research and gender-disaggregated data is needed to thoroughly understand the socio-economic impacts of the E-commerce moratorium on women in the digital economy, it serves as an important reminder that trade policy has a direct impact on the lives of people everyday. These stories can therefore help inform governments as they develop policies that are responsive to the practical needs of individuals participating in the global economy.

We invite you to read the report