观点：柬埔寨是否应支持WTO关于电子传输关税的永久暂停令？

[来源: CIR] [分类提示: NEWS] 标题: Opinion: Should Cambodia Support the Proposed Permanent Moratorium for Tariffs on Electronic Transmissions at the WTO? By Edwin Vanderbruggen Since its adoption at the Second WTO Ministerial Conference in 1998, the WTO has agreed to a temporary moratorium for customs duties on electronic transmissions, which has served as a cornerstone of the multilateral framework for digital commerce.[1] Originally conceived when the digital economy was nascent, the moratorium has been extended on multiple occasions, most recently, for a final renewal, through the Ministerial Decision of 2 March 2024.[2] With the moratorium due to lapse at the recent WTO Ministerial Conference MC14 in Yaoundé, Cameroon in March 2026, WTO Members faced a pivotal choice: whether to convert this temporary exemption into a permanent rule or to allow it to expire, thereby restoring Members’ discretion to impose tariffs on electronic transmissions. The frantic last-minute negotiations in Cameroon notwithstanding, no agreement was reached and the moratorium lapsed on 31 March 2026. For developing countries such as Cambodia, the decision carries particular weight. Cambodia’s economy has undergone rapid digital transformation, yet it remains heavily reliant on trade preferences and foreign investment. The WTO moratorium prohibits the imposition of customs duties on electronic transmissions, a term understood to encompass both the medium of transmission and, in some interpretations, the digital content itself.[3]