The WTO meeting, which extended into the sixth day due to significant differences in positions, concluded early last week following a prolonged saga in Abu Dhabi.
After multiple extensions and well into overtime, ministers convened for the closing ceremony around 11 PM (local time) to adopt the outcome document. This document was finalized after India acquiesced to the UAE's request for an extension of the customs duty waiver on e-commerce, encompassing services such as Netflix movies, for an additional two years. While India, Indonesia, and later Brazil initially sought an end to the exemption, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal agreed to the proposal after a meeting with UAE Trade Minister Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi.
Just when organisers had started shifting sofas to the side rooms and water dispensers had disappeared as the meeting was about to end, Indonesia sprung a surprise, refusing to accept the outcome document, citing its reservations on the extension, though over 160 members were already on board. At the WTO, the outcome document cannot be accepted unless all countries support the text.