Why Reviving the WTO Would Serve US Interests

The World Trade Organization moved another step closer to irrelevance at its 14th biennial conference last month, with the assembled ministers failing to reach an agreement on e-commerce rules. The US position was worth noting: The new global champion of tariffs was eager to extend an earlier deal on digital free trade.

Since its introduction in 1998, the WTO’s ban on e-commerce tariffs has been extended every two years. This time, the US advocated a permanent extension, but resistance from Brazil, India and Turkey blocked it. Discussions continue. In the meantime, Jamieson Greer, the US trade representative, was dismayed by the impasse — calling the zero-tariff pact “the lowest of low-hanging fruit.”