14th WTO Ministerial fails to deliver key business priorities
The 14th World Trade Organization Ministerial, held from 26 to 30 March 2026 in Yaoundé, ended without progress on two core business priorities: a permanent solution, or extension, for the e-commerce moratorium, and a reform agenda with clear timelines and deliverables.
The only tangible outcomes came on the plurilateral front, with the interim implementation of the E-commerce Agreement covering 66 members, including the EU, and more countries joining the EU-promoted alternative dispute settlement system (MPIA). BusinessEurope was represented by our Deputy Director General Luisa Santos and Senior Adviser Sofia Bournou, who led a delegation including several member federations
Urgent action is now needed to safeguard the e-commerce moratorium and advance WTO reform, while the EU should continue strengthening bilateral and plurilateral trade, including deeper engagement with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
