Representatives of the Eurasian Economic Commission took part in the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Yaoundé (Cameroon).
The Conference was treated as an attempt to address the WTO crisis and restore confidence in the multilateral trading system amid uncertainty and the erosion of fundamental rules of global trade.
In this regard, the central issue of the Conference was WTO reform. Additionally, multilateral trade negotiations took place concerning issues related to e-commerce, agriculture, development, fisheries subsidies, and the incorporation of the Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development into the WTO framework.
As a result, an agreement was particularly reached to continue negotiations on limiting support for fisheries that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, and a decision was made to increase the integration of small economies into the multilateral trading system.
Despite the extension of the Ministerial Conference, 166 WTO Members failed to reach consensus on any of the major issues. The draft decisions, such as the existential issue of WTO reform and the e-commerce moratorium on customs duties, which is sensitive for businesses, will be finalized in Geneva. Therefore, the moratorium expires on March 31, 2026.
On the sidelines of the Ministerial Conference, Vladimir Serpikov, Director of the EEC Trade Policy Department, held a bilateral meeting with Han Yong, Director General of the Department of WTO Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, to discuss the implementation of the Agreement on Trade and Economic Cooperation between the EAEU and China.
In addition, a working meeting was held with Jean Claude Essono, Advisor to the Minister of Trade of the Republic of Cameroon (the country chairing MC14), during which the EEC delegation answered questions from the Cameroonian side regarding the application of the EAEU unified system of tariff preferences, and with the leadership of the WTO Secretariat on issues of cooperation in the field of trade policy.
Ministerial Conference is the highest decision-making body of the WTO. During the sessions of the Ministerial Conferences, which are held every two years, decisions are made on significant issues related to existing agreements, and new agreements are also formulated.
On March 18, the EAEU countries compared positions on key negotiating areas of the 14th Ministerial Conference.
