Washington was pushing for a far longer horizon for the e-commerce moratorium — with U.S. negotiators seeking a 10-year commitment. Brazil threw a last-minute spanner in the works and was vetoing efforts to extend the moratorium altogether.
On top of that, U.S. officials have linked any extension of the moratorium to their agreement on the broader WTO reform workplan, raising the pressure on negotiators. A shorter, two-year moratorium deal could prompt Washington to withhold its support for the work plan — a move that risked derailing talks entirely and deepening U.S. frustration with the WTO’s negotiating system.
Meanwhile, tensions spilled over on Saturday night when the Investment Facilitation Agreement collapsed, after India once again blocked the plurilateral deal from being incorporated into WTO law.
“India showed the courage to stand alone,” Indian Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal wrote in a statement on X, criticizing members for “discussing guardrails and legal safeguards for plurilaterals before the integration of any specific plurilateral outcome.”
There are some options on the table. Delegates could opt for a stopgap, extending the digital tariff ban only until the next ministerial. Or they could allow the moratorium to lapse altogether — a decision that would force the United States to weigh whether to stay engaged in reform efforts, potentially triggering a broader breakdown in negotiations.
The most optimistic outcome — a renewed moratorium coupled with U.S. backing for a reform roadmap — was still within reach, however, with delegates hopeful for compromise.
