Industry leaders discuss trade, e-commerce with WTO chief

Representatives of Indian industry, including online retail and technology firms, today discussed issues pertaining to global trade and e-commerce with WTO chief Roberto Azevedo.
The roundtable meeting here was organised by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). It was attend by Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Mittal and representatives of companies including Paytm, Google and Snapdeal.
The issues which figured in the deliberations included standards for e-commerce sector, problems of businesses dealing with differences in national or regional regulations, facilitating trade in services and future of the global trading system.
The meeting assumes significance as developed countries are pushing WTO to start negotiating a agreement on e-commerce in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

They are pushing for ecommerce-related disciplines to be included in the ministerial meeting of the WTO in Argentina in December.
According to the WTO, since 1998, WTO members have agreed not to impose customs duties on electronic transmissions and a work programme was set up at the same time to clarify the concepts and impacts of this new area in trade.