Yaounde, March 31 -- The World Trade Organization's 14th Ministerial Conference ended in a deadlock on Monday after Brazil and Turkey blocked a US-backed agreement to extend the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions until the end of 2030.
The moratorium, in place for 28 years, prevents countries from imposing tariffs on digital goods, a cornerstone of global e-commerce.
Brazil called for comprehensive reforms in the WTO, warning that the rules-based trading system is under unprecedented strain. Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira criticized unilateral measures and trade agreements that, in Brazil's view, undermine the WTO's legal coherence and threaten predictability for exporters and developing economies.
"The forces of fra...