The 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) was expected to make incremental progress in reforming the global trading system, but nothing on the big issues that would infuse new life into the 29-year-old body which is struggling for relevance. MC13 appears to have fallen short of even these modest expectations.
The most positive outcome of the conference that ended on March 1 was the extension of the moratorium on restrictions related to digital trade, including e-commerce, software and remotely delivered services, which is especially important for Singapore. The moratorium, which has been in place since 1998, was set to expire in March 2024 if not renewed.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
