In the decades since, digital trade has burgeoned with applications that were inconceivable in the 1990s. Despite the absence of customs forms or potential tariffs for cross-border activities, if the moratorium expires, WTO members could demand customs paperwork and impose tariffs or duties on each transmission.
While some argue that WTO members wishing to impose tariffs on digital trade may face practical challenges, such as the inability of customs departments worldwide to track and trace online transactions, the moratorium’s expiration may still lead to attempts to collect duties, especially from larger firms engaged in significant cross-border activities. Although the difficulty in collecting customs tariffs might not be a sufficient barrier, the costs of collection will likely outweigh tariff amounts, particularly for transactions bundled into larger payments like subscriptions or professional service fees, or for those delivered for free.