World Semiconductor Council Urges Permanent Moratorium on Digital Transmission Tariffs at WTO
The World Semiconductor Council (WSC) has called for the World Trade Organization (WTO) to make the moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions permanent, ensuring tariff-free cross-border digital data flows. The moratorium has been essential for global digital trade since 1998, and its renewal is uncertain at the upcoming 14th WTO Ministerial Conference.
Imposing tariffs could disrupt the semiconductor supply chain, affecting design and manufacturing processes that depend on international collaboration. Taiwan, central to this supply chain, would experience higher costs and administrative burdens if tariffs were enacted. The WSC emphasizes the need for institutionalizing the moratorium to support ongoing digital trade and innovation.
