WTO reforms, agriculture-related matters, dispute settlement and the e-commerce moratorium are expected to be discussed by trade ministers of 166 countries during the four-day ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Yaounde, Cameroon, an official said.
Fisheries subsidies, China-led Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) agreement, e-commerce work programme and moratorium, development and S&DT (special and differential treatment), and level playing field issues are also among the topics that may figure during the 14th ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
The 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) will take place from March 26 to 29, 2026, in Yaounde, Cameroon.
The ministerial conference is the highest decision-making body of the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO). It meets every two years.
The Indian team will be led by Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, the official said.
The meeting is important as global trade has been disrupted first by sweeping tariffs imposed by the United States and now by the West Asia crisis triggered by the joint attack by the US and Israel on Iran, which has affected shipping routes and energy supplies.
Agriculture
India is seeking a permanent solution to the public stock holding (PSH) issues as per the existing mandate that is pending for more than a decade now. India has on multiple occasions asked to expedite the decision on PSH and the special safeguard mechanism (SSM).
SSM is a long-pending demand of developing and least developed countries (LDC). It is a tool that will allow developing countries to raise tariffs temporarily to deal with import surges or price falls.
The Cairns group, comprising countries like Australia and Brazil, has claimed that public stockholding is market-distorting and that there should be no export restrictions. On the other hand, the US wants market access for its agri commodities, and the EU wants a cut in subsidies.
Dispute settlement
The US is demanding reforms in the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO.
At present, it is not fully functional because the appellate body (AB) of the system has been non-functional since December 2019 due to the blocking of the appointment of its members or judges by the US.
The WTO is discussing to undertake reforms in the dispute settlement system, which is described as a “Crown jewel” of the Geneva-based 166-member global trade watchdog. The dispute settlement body (DSB) is one of the important arms of the organisation.
There are two main ways to settle a dispute once a complaint has been filed in the WTO. The countries find a mutually agreed solution, particularly during the phase of bilateral consultations, and through adjudication, which includes ruling by a panel and, if not satisfied, challenging that ruling at the appellate body.
The appellate body is the apex institution for adjudicating disputes. Since December 2019, over 20 appeals have been filed in the AB.
According to experts, the US wants to weaken the two-tier system of the dispute settlement mechanism and they do not intend to restore the appellate body. Developing countries, on the other hand, are of the strong view that a two-tier system is fundamental for the smooth functioning of the dispute settlement mechanism.
Certain developed nations have suggested reforming DSB and that includes finding appropriate alternatives to litigation.
E-commerce
India has flagged concerns that persistent digital divides, including lack of infrastructure, and access to digital technologies, hinder the effective participation of developing countries and LDC Members in global e-commerce.
India has also consistently shared its concerns on the issue of moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions.
A re-consideration of the moratorium is critical for developing countries most importantly to preserve policy space and achieve domestic industrialisation.
“We do not support extension of the moratorium,” India has recently stated this in December 2025 in a general council meeting of the WTO.
There is a need to discuss the scope of moratorium as there are revenue implications because of it. As per estimates, the potential tariff revenue losses to the developing countries are about USD 10 billion every year. For India, it could be over $500 million every year.
The World Trade Organisation members have agreed not to impose customs duties on electronic transmissions since 1998 and the moratorium has been periodically extended at successive ministerial conferences.
India is witnessing a rise in imports of electronic transmissions, mainly of items like movies, music, video games and printed matter, some of which could fall within the scope of the moratorium.
India has also expressed its deep concerns regarding Joint Statement Initiatives (JSIs) including the JSI on E-Commerce. India maintains that the JSI on E-Commerce fragments the multilateral trading system and erodes the foundational principles that the WTO is built on.
Investment facilitation for development agreement
At the MC13 in Abu Dhabi, India had strongly opposed the move led by countries such as China to push a proposal on investment facilitation at the WTO.
A China-led group of 128 countries is pushing for the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) proposal. The proposal will be binding for only the signatory members.
The IFD was first mooted in 2017 by China and other countries that depend heavily on Chinese investments, and countries with sovereign wealth funds are party to that pact. There are major differences among member countries on the proposal.
Special and differential treatment provisions
The S&DT allows developing and poor (less developed) countries to enjoy certain benefits, including taking longer time for implementing agreements and binding commitments, and measures to increase trading opportunities for them.
Currently, any WTO member can designate itself as a developing country and avail these benefits.
Some developed nations have stated that self-declaration puts the WTO on a path to failed negotiations and it is also a path to institutional irrelevance.
As part of the proposed WTO reforms, developed countries are saying that developing countries are bypassing rules in the name of self-proclaimed development status in the WTO. On the other hand, developing nations, including India, are demandeurs for special and differential treatment.
Fishery subsidies
Developed members are pushing to eliminate subsidies under the proposed fisheries subsidies agreement, which is under negotiation.
India is not a major fishery subsidy provider unlike countries like China, the European Union (EU) and the US. India has earlier demanded that the developed countries providing non-specific fuel subsidies must be subjected to discipline.
Published on March 8, 2026
