世界银行-数字贸易促进发展（英）-2025_55页_755kb

Digital Trade for Development Summary

Core Content

This report, jointly prepared by the IMF, OECD, UNCTAD, World Bank, and WTO, explores the opportunities and challenges that digital trade presents for developing economies. It emphasizes the importance of digital technologies in transforming economic growth, trade patterns, and development prospects, while also highlighting the need for domestic policies and international cooperation to ensure inclusive and sustainable outcomes.

Main Views and Key Information

1. Digital Trade and Economic Growth

• Digitalization is reshaping the way economies grow by increasing productivity, fostering innovation, and expanding trade opportunities.
• Digitally delivered services have grown rapidly, with a value of US$3.82 trillion in 2022, accounting for 54% of global services exports and 12% of total goods and services exports.
• The average annual growth rate of digitally delivered services (8.1%) has outpaced that of goods (5.6%) and other services (4.2%) since 2005.
• Digital technologies can reduce production costs, improve access to information, and enhance market participation for small businesses and farmers.

2. Challenges for Developing Economies

• While digital trade is growing in many developing economies, least developed countries (LDCs) are still lagging, contributing less than 1% of global digitally delivered services exports in 2022.
• Digital infrastructure and skills development are critical for participation in digital trade, but many developing economies still face barriers such as high tariffs on ICT equipment, limited competition in telecommunications, and lack of affordable internet access.
• Digital divide remains a significant issue, with 2.6 billion people still offline, mostly in low- and lower-middle-income countries.

3. Policy and Regulatory Environment

• A predictable and interoperable regulatory environment is essential for digital trade to thrive, including laws on data privacy, consumer protection, and cybersecurity.
• The WTO moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions is a key issue in the upcoming WTO 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), with debates on its scope, definition, and impact.
• The moratorium is expected to have a minimal impact on government revenue, estimated at less than 0.33% of overall revenue on average for developing economies.
• Value Added Tax (VAT) is considered a more effective and uniform way to collect revenue from digital trade compared to customs duties.

4. Role of International Cooperation

• Bilateral and regional trade agreements (RTAs) have become important venues for digital trade rule-making, with 116 RTAs containing digital trade provisions as of 2022.
• Cross-border data flows, competition policies, and consumer protection are key regulatory areas that require global cooperation to ensure fair and inclusive digital markets.
• Digital connectivity is a priority for the WTO Aid for Trade work programme, with commitments of US$2.16 billion to the ICT sector in 2021-22.

5. Opportunities for Inclusivity

• Digital trade offers new opportunities for MSMEs, women, and young people to participate in international trade.
• LDCs and developing economies can benefit from digital trade by accessing new markets and improving their trade competitiveness.
• Digital skills development and capacity building are essential for these economies to fully leverage digital trade.

Conclusion

• Digital trade is a transformative force in the global economy, offering significant growth and development opportunities, but also posing challenges that require targeted policy responses.
• Domestic policies must support digital infrastructure, skills, and a conducive regulatory environment.
• International cooperation is vital to address the complexities of digital trade, including the governance of cross-border data flows and the development of inclusive trade rules.
• The upcoming WTO 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) will be a critical moment for shaping the future of digital trade rules and ensuring that all economies, especially developing ones, can benefit from this transformation.

Annex and References

• The report includes an annex on the literature review of the WTO moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions.
• It draws on a wide range of references from international organizations such as the IMF, OECD, UNCTAD, World Bank, and WTO.
• The acknowledgment section credits the various officials and experts who contributed to the report's preparation.

Key Figures

• 5.4 billion people (67% of the global population) are connected to the internet.
• 2.6 billion people (one-third of the global population) remain offline.
• The value of digitally delivered services reached US$3.82 trillion in 2022.
• The WTO moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions was extended until the 13th Ministerial Conference or 31 March 2024, whichever comes first.