WASHINGTON – BSA | The Software Alliance issued the following statement following WTO members' extension of a moratorium on digital tariffs for another two years:

“BSA congratulates all WTO members on extending a longstanding agreement at the foundation of the digital economy, and for initiating a Work Programme that initiates efforts to foster digital transformation and inclusion.

BSA thanks all WTO member negotiating staff – and WTO Director General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and the WTO Secretariat – for their dedication and hard work in achieving this result.

For over a quarter century, the WTO E-Commerce Moratorium has empowered digitally-enabled businesses of all sizes to grow and prosper, and serves as a foundation for our modern digital economy. The WTO Work Programme also establishes milestone initiatives that will facilitate collaboration with international organizations to advance the digital industrialization among the WTO’s developing and least-developed country members.

BSA and Global Data Alliance members – representing companies active across the world in sectors the agriculture, aerospace, automotive, finance, health, media, software, and telecommunications sectors – look forward to building upon the outcomes at MC13. The importance of the moratorium was underscored in the strong support voiced by over 210 business organizations from more than 150 countries and representing more than 20 different industries. We call on all WTO members to work towards a more permanent Work Programme and Moratorium at the 14th Ministerial Conference and beyond.”

ABOUT THE GLOBAL DATA ALLIANCE

The Global Data Alliance (globaldataalliance.org) is a cross-industry coalition of companies that are committed to high standards of data responsibility and that rely on the ability to transfer data around the world to innovate and create jobs. Alliance members are headquartered across the globe and are active in the advanced manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, electronics, financial services, health, media and entertainment, natural resources, supply chain, and telecommunications sectors, among others. BSA | The Software Alliance administers the Global Data Alliance.