JOB/GC/110, JOB/CTG/2  
JOB/SERV/243, JOB/DEV/39  
 
4 November 2016  
(16-6080) Page: 1/3 
General Council  
Council for Trade in Goods  
Counc il for Trade in Services  
Committee on  Trade and Development  Original: English  
 
 WORK PROGRAMME ON EL ECTRONIC COMMERCE  
AIMING AT THE 11TH MINISTERIAL CONFEREN CE 
Communication from the People's Republic of China  
INTRODUCTION  
In recent years, E -Commerce has developed rapidly across the world and provided unprecedented 
means and opportuni ties to promote global trade, particularly for developing countries and their 
SMEs to increase exports.  
 
In September  2016, the B20 2016 Policy Recommendations to the G20  was submitted to G20 
leaders in Hangzhou China. The Recommendations  takes promotion o f cross -border E -Commerce 
as one of the key messages and proposes endorsing the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP), 
underlining the importance of better access to capital and technology for developing countries and 
their SMEs so as to achieve inclusive  trade and growth. Bring SMEs onto the E -Commerce 
Highway , a report released in 2016 by the International Trade Centre (ITC), also advocates 
public -private dialogues to assist SMEs in their participation in cross -border E -Commerce.  
 
Noting the growing inte rest among WTO  Members in E -Commerce discussions, China welcomes 
WTO to work on this important issue. In the meantime, in view of its complexity and in particular 
the wide digital gap among Members, China believes that E -Commerce related work in the WTO 
should embody the inclusiveness of the multilateral trading system and proceed progressively in 
the spirit of solidarity. Priority should be given to easy issues to avoid pushing Members to 
opposing ends and bringing harm to the multilateral trading system. At present stage, the 
discussions should base themselves on the existing mandate, focusing on areas of common 
interests to Members with the aim of realizing pragmatic progress at the 11th Ministerial 
Conference (MC11).  
 
To this end, China proposes that the  discussions at the present stage focus on promotion and 
facilitation of cross -border trade in goods enabled by internet, together with services directly 
supporting such trade in goods, such as payment and logistics services. The discussions are to 
clarify  and to improve the application of existing multilateral trading rules, with a view to enabling 
developing Members, SVEs and LDCs in particular, and their SMEs and disadvantaged groups to 
better participate in and benefit from international trade and globa l value chain s and to achieve 
leap-forward development. The moratorium on imposition of customs duties on electronic 
transmissions should be extended. The discussions at this stage should not lead to new market 
access commitments including tariff reduction s. Development dimension should be upheld 
throughout the discussions and be fully incorporated in the outcomes.  
 
1  SPECIFIC ELEMENTS  
1.1  Create a sound trade policy environment facilitating cross -border E -Commerce  
1.1.  Discuss the desirability and feasibility to prov ide more facilitating treatment to cross -border 
E-Commerce of both the B2C and B2B  transactions, and explore how to apply simplified border JOB/GC/110 • JOB/CTG/2 • JOB/SERV/243 • JOB/DEV/39  
 
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  measures for import, export and transit of goods traded at least under B2C  mode. Details may 
include but are not lim ited to:  
- identifying a list of products eligible for such simplified border measures;  
 
- exploring approaches of implementing tax rebate to goods traded under B2C  mode, 
taking into account the international practice of VAT  rebate for exports;  
 
- clarifyi ng policies applicable to returned goods, including tax policies;  
 
- providing simplified fast -track procedures in respect of customs clearance, inspection 
and quarantine;  
 
- allowing establishment of bonded warehouses in territories of other Members for 
distribution purposes and providing convenience in terms of customs procedures and 
levy of duties to the extent possible.  
 
1.2.  Exchange information on regulatory measures and procedures for establishing platforms for 
cross-border E -Commerce transactions as well  as for engaging in such transactions, including 
information on relevant business registration procedures, and discuss the possibility of making 
them more convenient and secure.  
1.3.  Exchange information on regulatory measures and procedures for supplying servi ces directly 
supporting cross -border E -Commerce transactions, including electronic and online payment, 
logistics and courier, online customs clearance and other trade facilitation services, and discuss the 
possibility of making them more accommodating.  
1.4.  Promote paperless trade, and facilitate access to, use of, and data exchange wit h the single 
window of a Member' s authorities for international trade by cross -border E -Commerce transaction 
platforms and traders, and also services providers of trade facilitati on, payment, logistics and 
courier services.  
1.5.  Promote inter -connectivity and data exchange among Members ' international trade single 
windows.  
1.6.  Promote innovation of trade financing, exchange information on policies and regulatory 
measures concerning online t rade financing for cross -border E -Commerce transactions and explore 
the possibility of facilitating measures.  
1.7.  Bolster cooperation among providers of services supporting cross -border E -Commerce 
transactions, such as logistics and courier services, and payme nt services.  
2  ENHANCE TRANSPARENCY  ON POLICY FRAMEWORK OF CROSS -BORDER E -COMMERCE  
2.1.  Publish laws, regulations and administrative measures relating to cross -border E -Commerce, 
inform the WTO of the official sites where they are published and provide such laws,  regulations 
and administrative measures to the WTO to the extent possible.  
2.2.  Make available and update regularly through the Internet description of procedures for 
importation and exportation of goods under cross -border E -Commerce, especially through the 
B2C mode.  
2.3.  Respond to reasonable enquiries from other Members regarding cross -border E -Commerce 
through enquiry point(s) established and maintained under the Trade Facilitation Agreement.  
3  IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTU RE AND TECHNICAL CON DITIONS FOR CROSS -BORDER 
E-COMM ERCE  
3.1.  Exchange information on policies concerning digital certificates, electronic signature and 
electronic authentication, and promote the mutual recognition of digital certificates and electronic 
signature as well as their use in cross -border E -Commerce.  JOB/GC/110 • JOB/CTG/2 • JOB/SERV/243 •  JOB/DEV/39  
 
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  3.2.  Explore concrete measures to improve the infrastructure and technical conditions for 
development of cross -border E -Commerce in developing Members, including work to be 
undertaken within the Aid for Trade framework, such as helping developing Members evalua te 
their readiness for E -Commerce and enhancing the informatization  level of their Customs 
authorities.  
4  OTHER RELEVANT ISSUE S 
4.1.  Exchange information on Members ' laws, regulations and administrative measures regarding 
other policy issues relevant to cross -border E -Commerce, such as consumer protection, privacy 
protection and intellectual property rights, and discuss the interface between trade policies and 
such, so as to enhance consumer confidence in cross -border E -Commerce and promote its 
development.  
5  DISCUS SION ORGANIZATION AN D SECRETARIAT WORK  
5.1.  The General Council should enhance its role in providing political guidance and overall 
coordination. Under the auspices of the General Council Chair, an informal joint meeting of the 
dedicated session of the General Council for E -Commerce, the Council for Trade in Goods, the 
Council for Trade in Services, the Council for Trade -Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights 
and the Committee on Trade and Development could be held to have an overall discussion on 
issues put forward by Members. The issues then could be handed over for more focused and 
in-depth discussions in either the dedicated session, or the respective Councils or Committee 
according to their division of responsibilities with the aim of identifying co mmon ground. The 
General Council would receive interim reports on these discussions and provide political guidance 
so that the discussions could be advanced in an effective way to obtain pragmatic achievements.  
5.2.  The Secretariat could undertake more work in enhancing the capabilities of developing 
Members to benefit from E -Commerce and providing technical support in the multilateral 
discussions. For example, considering incorporating E -Commerce elements in the Trade Policy 
Review of Members based on Members ' consensus and with the consent of the Member being 
reviewed; conducting dedicated studies on specific issues upon Members ' requests; working with 
other international organizations and institutions to establish platforms for dialogues and 
communication amon g governments, academic institutions, industry associations and other 
stakeholders; offering E -Commerce policy information and consultancy services to Members, 
particularly developing Members; and collecting voices and views from SMEs, maintaining contacts  
with B20 and other business communities and following closely the development of B20 's initiative 
of establishing the eWTP.  
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