Digital Trade
Digital trade policies increasingly shape the conditions of competition in the international market. IISD’s work helps developing countries to assess how best to advance, and protect, their interests and how to build inclusive global e-commerce frameworks that advance sustainable development everywhere. We provide impartial, objective support to negotiators engaged in the World Trade Organization (WTO) e-commerce negotiations.
In today's interconnected world, domestic and international regulations governing digital trade must serve as bridges, ensuring equitable access to the benefits of e-commerce for businesses and consumers everywhere. Our work supports the development of e-commerce frameworks that integrate sustainable development principles, such as inclusivity, data privacy protection, environmental sustainability, and digital literacy. We work at the multilateral, regional, and national levels to help shape digital trade rules that foster development and narrow global disparities.
Drawing on years of experience, we empower developing and least developed country negotiators to navigate WTO discussions on e-commerce. Through impartial analysis, we equip members with the insights needed to articulate their needs, positions, and priorities.
Analysis
Inside MC14: What to Expect on E-Commerce at MC14
Rashmi Jose explores why digital trade matters at MC14, covering the e-commerce moratorium, Work Programme, and the plurilateral initiative on e-commerce—and what’s next for these discussions.
E-Commerce at the WTO: Can members find common ground at MC14?
E-commerce is central to global trade, but WTO members remain divided on digital trade rules. Rashid S. Kaukab explores debates over the moratorium on customs duties, the WPEC, and the potential incorporation of the JSI Agreement at MC14, with implications for developing countries.
IISD Trade and Sustainability Review, October 2024
This edition of the IISD Trade and Sustainability Review presents five unique perspectives on the global governance landscape of digital trade.
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Research and publications
Electronic Commerce and the World Trade Organization
This report provides an overview of multilateral and plurilateral e-commerce processes at the World Trade Organization (WTO), highlighting recent progress and upcoming decision points ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14), to equip policy-makers and negotiators with an up-to-date understanding of global digital trade governance.
Setting International Technical Standards to Shape Digital Trade Policy
This report explores the pivotal role of international technical standards in shaping the future of the digital economy.
Cybersecurity and International Trade
A policy primer on the main types of cybersecurity measures and their trade implications, with a focus on key considerations for policy-makers in developing countries.
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Recent events
Shaping the Global Data Economy: Trade rules, policy space, and development
This webinar explored the interplay between data governance and trade policy, focusing on emerging trade rules for cross-border data flows.
Digital Trade and the World Trade Organization: State of play ahead of MC14
This webinar provided a clear, accessible overview of the current state of the World Trade Organization's (WTO’s) multilateral work on e-commerce and recent developments in plurilateral negotiations.
Building a Connected World: The critical role of digital technical standards
This webinar examined the role of technical standards in shaping the future of the digital economy, exploring what they are, how they are developed, and why they matter for digital trade policy.
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The need for regulating informal e-commerce
The International Institute for Sustainable Development reported that "E-commerce has grown significantly in recent years. E-commerce retail sales, estimated in 2020 at USD 4.25 trillion, make up a growing share of total retail sales and could rise to nearly a quarter by 2025. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this trend, which is expected to persist as consumers continue to alter their shopping behaviour." Bhutan is no exception, particularly when it comes to informal e-commerce. However, only a limited number of e-commerce businesses in Bhutan are currently regulated, posing serious vulnerabilities for consumers due to rampant emergence of unregulated e-commerce.