March 4th 2026: OWIT UK has joined the call for support and signed the joing UK Business Letter to the WTO Director General regarding the Agreement on Electronic Commerce ahead of MC14

As outlined in the letter, UK business strongly supports progress towards implementation of the Agreement and encourages that this issue be prioritised at MC14.

“Digital trade is fundamental to how business operates in today’s global economy, underpinning supply chains, services delivery and market access for businesses of all sizes. Yet despite its growing importance, there remains no common set of global rules governing digital trade despite clear evidence that digitalisation makes trade cheaper, faster, simpler and more secure.

Business therefore welcomed the stabilised text of the Agreement on Electronic Commerce in 2024. The Agreement is critically important and will enable companies to be agile in an increasingly disruptive global environment. It is an essential irst step to modernise antiquated trade processes, boost growth and revitalise the global trading system. The text demonstrates that WTO Members have done the hard work and that the Agreement is ready.

Yet in nearly two years since 2024 no further progress towards implementation has taken place in the WTO framework. Business con idence in the WTO will continue to erode if agreements are reached but not implemented. Advancing implementation at MC14 and allowing suf icient time on the Conference’s agenda would represent a major step towards closing the current gap between WTO rules and real-world business and ensuring that businesses and consumers feel the tangible bene its of technology and an
open, digital economy.

Digital trade matters for everyone, particularly micro, small and medium-sized enterprises and smaller economies that are among the most trade-burdened. It supports growth and productivity by reducing risk and cost, improving access to markets and enabling irms to scale more easily across borders, while also underpinning the adoption of arti icial intelligence and other frontier technologies. This Agreement is a win-win for everyone. All WTO Members stand to gain from a practical, implementable framework that delivers real bene its on the ground and sets the scene for further advances.

We urge you to take a lead in ensuring that WTO Members prioritise and address the Agreement on Electronic Commerce at the 14th Ministerial Conference in Cameroon. Operationalising the Agreement would send a strong signal that the WTO can deliver relevant, forward-looking solutions and remain responsive to the realities of today’s global trading system.”