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digital economy | e-commerce

EU adopts Digital Trade Agreement with Singapore despite warnings: a setback for digital rights and democratic oversight
20-Nov-2025 EDRi
This decision weakens the Union’s capacity to safeguard privacy, data protection, and accountability over software systems, at a time when deregulation pressures are increasing across Europe.
The EU-Singapore digital trade agreement: gambling away our digital sovereignty
19-Nov-2025 The Left in the European Parliament
Significant concerns about the potentially negative impacts on EU policy space, digital regulation, data protection, workers’ rights, digital industrialisation efforts and taxation remain unaddressed.
The tech taxes at the heart of Trump’s tariff war
19-Nov-2025 Politico
Foreign countries want to take a cut of the proceeds from digital services provided by American companies, and passed their own laws to do so... and now the US is using trade negotiations to pressure those governments into rolling them back.
Digital trade gets a leap forward as the Africa Trade Gateway launches national adoption drive in Rwanda
14-Nov-2025 African Business
Afreximbank and the AfCFTA Secretariat have taken a major step towards realising Africa’s digital trade potential with the launch of the Africa Trade Gateway’s national adoption campaign in Kigali — a move set to accelerate intra-African commerce and integration.
White House agrees to lower tariffs on some goods from Latin America — including Argentinian beef
14-Nov-2025 Politico
The US announced new trade agreements with Argentina, Guatemala, El Salvador and Ecuador.
Singapore pushes for historic ASEAN-EU digital trade deal
13-Nov-2025 The Tech Buzz
Singapore is driving talks for a groundbreaking digital economy agreement between ASEAN and the European Union, a move that could reshape $300 billion in Southeast Asian digital trade.
MEPs attempt to stall the EU-Singapore digital trade agreement
6-Nov-2025 Euractiv
The EU-Singapore digital trade agreement is not in compliant with EU rules and fundamental rights and should be assessed by the EU Court of Justice, left-wing MEPs argue.
AfCFTA: Electronic platform to digitize issuance of certificates of origin
3-Nov-2025 AfricanManager
The Ministry of Trade and Export Development is working to launch an electronic platform to digitize the issuance of certificates of origin for exporting local products to several African countries, under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
Asean set to sign digital economy agreement in 2026 to boost cross-border trade, services
3-Nov-2025 The Straits Times
Touted as the first major regionwide digital economy agreement in the world, talks on Defa officially began in September 2023, covering areas such as digital trade, cross-border e-commerce, cyber security, digital identity, digital payments and cross-border data flows.
Method to the madness: How Trump’s chaotic trade agenda benefits big tech
17-Oct-2025 Public Citizen
A close examination of the dizzying chaos surrounding President Trump’s tariff threats and secretive “trade deals” shows a disturbing throughline: this is nothing but a shakedown on behalf of Big Tech.
COMESA and Kenya launch electronic certificate of origin to drive digital trade integration
16-Oct-2025 Tech Africa News
The new digital platform streamlines exporter registration and the issuance of Certificates of Origin — documents that are vital for traders seeking preferential access under COMESA, the East African Community (EAC), and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Afreximbank, AfCFTA Secretariat roll out digital trade portal in Rwanda
16-Oct-2025 The New Times
The Afreximbank and the AfCFTA Secretariat have joined forces to roll out the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), a digital trade platform aiming to help Rwandan businesses identify partners, access financing, complete cross-border payments, and expand into new markets.
Nigeria, others seek AfCFTA digital trade protocol implementation
14-Oct-2025 The Guardian
As part of efforts towards forging a viable and practical path for implementing the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol, Nigeria has held the maiden digital trade market access roundtable, welcoming regulators from Ghana, Egypt, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa.
EU sees new US trade demands hollowing out deal struck by Trump
9-Oct-2025 Yahoo
The US has been seeking an opening to discuss the bloc’s legislation, including digital and technology rules as well as corporate compliance and climate-related regulations.
India, US agree not to seek info on source code
3-Oct-2025 The Economic Times
Selling of products and services by US companies in India is likely to get easier with the two countries renegotiating a trade deal, with focus on facilitating digital trade.
AfCFTA launches Tunisia workshop to harmonize digital trade laws
1-Oct-2025 News Ghana
Five-day programme aims to help North African nation domesticate protocol as digital commerce integration advances. Tunisia has become the latest African country to receive targeted support for implementing the continent’s ambitious digital trade framework.
Kenya takes lead in Africa’s digital trade push under AfCFTA
29-Sep-2025 Citizen Digital
Kenya is positioning itself as a regional hub for digital trade and payments under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a role highlighted during the 2025 World Trade Organization (WTO) forum in Geneva.
Understanding digital services taxes
29-Sep-2025 Public Citizen
The US has raised a dispute about the imposition of this tax under “nondiscrimination” provisions of the US-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement, alleging that these taxes are targeted at US companies.
Singapore inks pact with four European states to boost digital trade
29-Sep-2025 The Straits Times
A new agreement between Singapore and the European Free Trade Association is set to boost cross-border data flows for key sectors such as financial services.
Unequal partnerships: who’s really gaining from US-UK tech deal?
25-Sep-2025 The Counterbalance
The deal represents the latest entrenchment of a few giant US tech firms and their influence over the UK’s economic and political future. In addition, the deal risks weakening the UK’s ability to regulate the digital economy.