“In short, we are very close to a Yaoundé package of agreements that would be important for Members and the future of the organization. We’ve worked really hard here, and we are very close, but we’re not all the way there yet.”
Okonjo-Iweala suggested that members use the draft texts developed over the four days of ministerial discussions to finalize agreements on outstanding issues in further discussions at WTO headquarters in Geneva.
These included the reform work plan that was meant to be the main deliverable of the meeting, and the extension of the e-commerce moratorium that is due to expire on Monday.
Multiple officials had indicated earlier that a compromise was emerging around a four-year extension of the moratorium, paired with a roughly one-year sunset clause designed to give businesses time to adjust.
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 linked any extension of the moratorium to their agreement on the broader WTO reform workplan, effectively derailing the talks and deepening U.S. frustration with the WTO’s negotiating system.