Internet Made Safe From Customs Duties

  • Dr Lockwood Smith
Trade

Electronic commerce via the Internet has been made safe from customs duties, Trade Minister Lockwood Smith said from Geneva today.

Dr Smith was commenting at the end of this week's World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial.

The ministerial decided to instruct officials to examine all trade-related issues relating to electronic commerce and report back to the next ministerial to be held in the United States at the end of 1999.

In the meantime, WTO members agreed not to impose customs duties on electronic transmissions.

"This is a very 21st Century decision," Dr Smith said. "It will ensure we don't burden commerce through the Internet with all the restrictive rules and regulations which continue to stiffle trade in so many other goods and services."

Dr Smith said it was likely New Zealand would advocate a permanent ban on customs duties on electronic commerce.

The electronic commerce initiative was proposed by the United States.