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e-commerce | digital economy

ASEAN, China signal commitment to rules-based trade with ACFTA 3.0
18-Sep-2025 Bernama
ASEAN Secretary General Dr Kao Kim Hourn said the upgrade would mark a new chapter in the partnership with technology and innovation at the centre of the cooperation.
Map: Big Tech’s targets in Trump’s secret tariff negotiations
16-Sep-2025 Public Citizen
A new analysis maps the wide array of policies around the world on data privacy, AI accountability, digital taxes, and anti-monopoly laws that Big Tech industry lobbyists have urged US trade negotiators to target.
Cross-border data flows and free trade agreements
15-Sep-2025 Digital Trade Alliance
Provisions that restrict the regulation of cross-border data flows can limit the ability of States to implement domestic measures to protect the privacy and security of consumer data.
Source code disclosure and free trade agreements
15-Sep-2025 Digital Trade Alliance
Consumer rights are at risk when FTAs limit the ability of countries, their regulatory and oversight agencies, or appropriate third parties to monitor the software being imported into their territories.
Trump administration must choose between Big Tech and US sovereignty as industry seeks to weaponize trade policy to attack data security, privacy policies in other nations that US has also adopted
12-Sep-2025 Rethink Trade
Congress and federal agencies and US states have adopted the same sorts of data security and privacy policies that Big Tech lobbyists are pushing President Trump to attack as the “illegal trade barriers.”
The tech lobbying is coming from inside the house
12-Sep-2025 The American Prospect
Emails from the US trade representative’s office show a cozy relationship with Amazon, Google, and Facebook.
Google adtech fine on hold as EU awaits lower US car duties, sources say
3-Sep-2025 Reuters
EU antitrust regulators have delayed fining Alphabet’s Google over its adtech business, while waiting for the United States to cut tariffs on European cars as part of a trade deal.
How fining Elon Musk’s X could threaten the US-EU trade deal
3-Sep-2025 The New York Times
The European Union is expected to penalize the company, which has been accused of breaching the Digital Services Act, a law President Trump has criticized.
Digital taxes put US-EU trade talks under pressure
2-Sep-2025 DW
Trump is now threatening retaliation over EU tech rules, shaking the bloc’s 15% tariff deal. Lacking China’s rare earths leverage, Brussels is scrambling for countermeasures — what cards can it still play?
AfCFTA | bank of Algeria joins PAPSS network as Algeria prepares to host Intra-African Trade Fair 2025
21-Aug-2025 BitcoinKE
Algeria now becomes the 18th country of presence for PAPSS, marking a significant step in advancing Africa’s journey towards deeper financial integration. Algeria’s accession to PAPSS comes at a moment when the nation prepares to host the Intra-African Trade Fair 2025 (IATF2025) from September 4-10 2025 in Algiers, Algeria.
Press Release: The UK-India CETA: for illusory gains in exports, India loses massive policy space to protect its health, data, and livelihoods
14-Aug-2025 Focus on the Global South
The Forum for Trade Justice condemns the UK-India CETA for allowing India to make severe concessions that undermine its ability to maintain public health safeguards, control digital data sovereignty, and protect domestic industries, while the promised export gains are minimal or illusory.
EU, CPTPP explore digital trade pact amid Trump policy shift
1-Aug-2025 Borderlex
European and Asia-Pacific leaders are eyeing a possible pan-continental agreement on digital trade as part of a rapprochement between the EU and the 12-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership.
US to investigate Brazil’s digital payment system
1-Aug-2025 Cointelegraph
As Brazil’s Pix system expands and BRICS eyes a reserve currency, Trump responds with a 50% tariff and a sweeping trade investigation.
Indonesia to allow personal data transfer to United States
24-Jul-2025 Antara
Indonesia has agreed to provide certainty regarding the transfer of personal data to the United States as part of broader efforts to remove barriers to digital trade.
Trade : AfCFTA launches digital customs platform to boost Intra-African Commerce
21-Jul-2025 Africa News Agency
On July 17, 2025, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) launched its long-awaited digital customs platform, designed to cut border processing times by 65%. The system integrates with national tax authorities across 15 initial member states.
India, EU resolve digital differences in free trade agreement talks
21-Jul-2025 Business Standard
India and the European Union (EU) have reached an in-principle agreement on the contentious digital trade chapter, marking a key step toward concluding a free trade agreement, though “substantial differences” remain over trade and sustainable development provisions.
Letter to USTR Greer from 11 orgs on digital trade rules on upcoming USMCA review
15-Jul-2025 Rethink Trade
We write today to urge you to oppose efforts by the largest Big Tech monopolists to use trade agreements and trade policy actions to internationally preempt and derail domestic policies that safeguard consumers, workers, farmers and competing businesses against Big Tech abuses here and in other countries.
Victory for Trump as EU backs down on digital taxes in next budget
15-Jul-2025 Politico
Shelving the plan could help EU persuade the US to give it a more favorable trade deal and comes just two months after the Commission suggested it.
Singapore and EFTA conclude talks on digital economy agreement
11-Jul-2025 Singapore Business Review
The agreement will allow the free flow of data across each other’s territories.
Trump’s tariffs and the Big Tech takeover
3-Jul-2025 Bot Populi
How are countries in the Global Majority world responding to the US’s sudden demand for trade (re)negotiations in the digital economy?