New Delhi, July 4 -- India should revisit its position on the World Trade Organization's (WTO) moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions and take a more proactive role in shaping global digital trade rules, according to a policy brief by the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER).

The recommendation follows the lapse of the long-standing WTO moratorium on March 31, 2026, after members failed to reach consensus at the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) in Yaounde, Cameroon. Introduced in 1998 and renewed repeatedly over 27 years, it had barred customs duties on electronic transmissions.

The breakdown of negotiations - driven largely by differences between major economies, including the Uni...