The World Trade Organization’s 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14) began in Cameroon on Thursday at a time when the trade body faces a crisis of relevance.On the agenda are reforms aimed at bringing back some predictability to a global trade order that has been shaken up by the Donald Trump-led US administration.WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has dubbed the conference a ‘turning point ministerial’, one that comes at a time when its trade dispute settlement powers have been rendered dysfunctional, with successive American administrations blocking the appointment of judges to the WTO’s dispute settlement body.The US is pushing for radical reforms, such as a rethink on the ‘most-favoured nation’ (MFN) principle that ensures non-discriminatory trade practices, and incorporating a plurilateral agreement in the WTO architecture, which is seen as a contrast to long-established consensus-based decision-making.India, meanwhile, is primarily pursuing the policy space owing to its relatively low share in global trade but large scope for future growth.A section of international trade experts believes that this stance also stems from previous experience, like agreeing to the Information Technology Agreement -1 (ITA-1) in 1996. At that time, participants, including India, agreed to completely eliminate tariffs on IT products covered by the agreement. While India benefited from the IT boom, it missed out on pushing for the manufacturing of IT products within the country.Here are the key issues at stake for the countries at the gathering, and for India.E-commerce moratoriumStory continues below this adOne of the key issues dividing developing and developed nations is the issue of an e-commerce moratorium. The moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions — a blanket term for services ranging from streaming to e-books — has been renewed every two years since its inception in 1998.India has been opposing the WTO’s proposal to impose a moratorium as this would undermine its ability to collect revenue from digitally delivered services in the future. India, Indonesia and South Africa have said that the moratorium fundamentally disadvantages nations lacking advanced digital industries.Also Read | Flashpoint at WTO: India set to oppose US proposal seeking permanent ban on e-transmission dutiesWhile revenue considerations have been a key ground for India’s stance, as digital trade grew from less than $1 trillion in 1998 to over $16 trillion by 2025 with digitally delivered services alone representing 56 per cent of global services exports, preserving the policy space has also been a key consideration.India and South Africa, in the past, have emphasised in their joint submissions to the WTO: “This is not just a revenue issue but a policy space issue.”Story continues below this adThe Delhi-based thinktank Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), in a report earlier this month, said developing nations will need to expand their digital skills and infrastructure in order to be competitive in the digital age. “Developing nations are still having difficulty building their information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and increasing their internet accessibility, while developed nations are investing enormous sums of money in digital technologies like robotics, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and 3D printing,” the report said.A China-backed investment dealAnother major issue at the WTO is the China-backed Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, which has gained the support of 128 countries. The pact, according to the WTO, is meant to improve the flow of foreign direct investment between WTO members. It is primarily aimed at developing and least developed country members as a means of fostering sustainable development.But India has opposed the agreement, arguing that incorporating the IFD through a plurilateral route raises broader questions about the WTO’s future, which is traditionally based on multilateralism and consensus. Unlike traditional WTO agreements, plurilateral deals only apply to participating countries, allowing smaller groups to move ahead.Also Read | India is opposing a China-led WTO investment deal, even at the risk of isolation. Here’s whyProponents of the agreement say that the IFD Agreement explicitly excludes market access, investment protection, Investor-State Dispute settlement, government procurement and certain subsidies. But experts have pointed out that IFD has strategic considerations for India beyond the institutional considerations. The ‘World Trade and Development’ report said that a significant feature of the IFD coalition is its overlap with Chinese connectivity and infrastructure initiatives.Story continues below this ad“Of the 128 IFD participants, 98 are also members of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Though correlation does not imply formal linkage, this convergence highlights how multilateral facilitation disciplines may complement geo-economic strategies. By standardising regulatory procedures across participating economies, the IFD could indirectly strengthen the operational environment for large-scale cross-border infrastructure and investment networks,” the RIS report said.Public stockholdingOne of India’s biggest unmet demands has been a permanent solution to public stockholding for food security purposes.A permanent solution at the WTO will give India and a coalition of developing countries the flexibility to give out higher farm support. According to WTO norms, agricultural subsidy should not exceed 10% of the value of agricultural production for developing countries. But developing nations receive certain protections.India has maintained that it has to protect the interests of poor and vulnerable farmers, besides taking care of the food security needs of a large section of the population. The government provides 5 kg of free food grains each month to around 80 crore economically disadvantaged people under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).Story continues below this adAlso Read | India puts rider to signing US trade deal after Supreme Court sinks key tariffs“A permanent solution on public stockholding remains critical for India, given that a significant proportion of farmers are low-income and resource-constrained, relying on the Minimum Support Price system for price assurance and livelihood security. On fisheries subsidies, India has advocated for a balanced approach that addresses sustainability concerns while protecting the livelihoods of fishers. India has also emphasised that distant water fishing nations should undertake proportionate responsibilities, including progressive reduction of their distant water fishing capacities,” India’s Commerce Ministry said this week.WTO reformsThe US, which has upending the global trade order by using reciprocal tariffs, has now made a case against the ‘most-favoured nation’ trade principle. Washington has said that this should not be considered as a bedrock principle of the multilateral trading system.“Historically, countries often negotiated conditional MFN [most-favoured nation] commitments in their treaties and sometimes departed from the principle to best serve their interests amid particular economic and political conditions. Indeed, for most of its history, the United States did not extend MFN treatment to the majority of its trading partners. Even in the GATT/WTO era, there have always been numerous exceptions to MFN. Finally, a maximalist MFN practice in the current global economic circumstances does not advance, and in fact hinders, national interests,” the US said in a report.The Commerce Ministry this week, however, said that India’s engagement at MC14 will remain constructive, balanced and development-oriented. India will continue to support meaningful WTO reform aimed at strengthening the multilateral trading system, while keeping development concerns at its core, it said.Story continues below this ad“The country will emphasise the importance of respecting the multilateral mandate of the WTO, prioritising food security, safeguarding the livelihoods of small farmers and fishers, and ensuring adequate policy space for developing economies, particularly in emerging areas such as digital trade,” the ministry said.