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e-commerce | digital economy

In Africa, Biden finds a free trade zone he can embrace
12-Aug-2021 Nikkei Asia
Eager to tap into a promising market while burnishing his administration’s credentials on free trade now that rejoining the Trans-Pacific Partnership looks as distant as ever, U.S. President Joe Biden appears ready to engage a new free trade zone in Africa.
DEPA lacks added value
3-Aug-2021 East Asia Forum
There is minimal value added by DEPA, even as a pathfinder for e-commerce proponents in the WTO and APEC. For critics of the TPP and CPTPP’s one-sided rules, DEPA reflects a wasted opportunity.
Biden faces hard sell in Asia for anti-China digital trade pact
15-Jul-2021 Bloomberg
As the US mulls a digital trade agreement to counter China, it faces a key problem: Many countries in Asia don’t want to join any deal seen as challenging Beijing, whose tech giants are deeply entrenched in the region.
Biden team mulls digital trade deal to counter China in Asia
13-Jul-2021 Bloomberg
White House officials are discussing proposals for a digital trade agreement covering Indo-Pacific economies as the administration seeks ways to check China’s influence in the region.
Vietnam, Singapore begin negotiations on digital trade agreement
30-Jun-2021 The Diplomat
It is still too early to hail a digital economy agreement between Singapore and Vietnam. And it will be an even longer road before Vietnam can align itself with Singapore’s digital trade standards so that both nations can reap the full benefits of any potential agreement.
Singapore and UK start negotiation talks on a digital economy
28-Jun-2021 Marketing Interactive
Singapore and the United Kingdom have negotiation talks on a digital economy agreement, UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (UKSDEA).
Vietnam, Singapore to work towards bilateral agreement on digital economy
22-Jun-2021 Saigon Giai Phong Online
Vietnam and Singapore have agreed to promote the early establishment of a joint technical working group on a digital partnership, towards a bilateral agreement on digital economy.
US-China tech war: why a digital trade deal with Japan and South Korea is key to gaining the upper hand
3-Jun-2021 South China Morning Post
In this competition over standards, whichever nation first strikes a trilateral deal with technology leaders Japan and South Korea will secure a strategic chokepoint in the digital architecture of Asia.
Tech liability shield has no place in trade deals, groups say
27-May-2021 Bloomberg
The organizations said including a legal shield for tech companies in trade deals “reflects a broad effort by the big tech platforms to use ‘trade negotiations’ to limit domestic policy options.”
S. Korea seeks to join DEPA, promote digital trade
18-May-2021 Yonhap
South Korea held a public hearing on its bid to join a global pact on the digital trade sector that covers a wider array of issues beyond conventional free trade agreements.
Digital trade deal ripe for the Indo-Pacific
7-Apr-2021 The Hill
US Trade Representative has raised digital trade as an area of potential future cooperation in her coversations thus far with Asian partners.
US, Central Asian countries agree to focus on digital trade issues
31-Mar-2021 Reuters
Trade officials in the meeting of the US-Central Asia Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) discussed the importance of digital trade for achieving broad-based inclusive economic growth and innovation.
WTO plurilateral ecommerce draft consolidated text
10-Feb-2021
Some WTO Members are negotiating rules on ecommerce. This is the draft consolidated text as of 14 December 2020.
WTO plurilateral ecommerce stocktake text
10-Feb-2021
Some WTO Members are negotiating rules on ecommerce. This is the draft stocktake text as of August 2020.
Regional trade pact will pave way for digital yuan
10-Feb-2021 China Daily
The RCEP will undoubtedly pave the way for China’s new digital yuan expansion throughout Asia.
Mexican social media plan violates North America trade deal, industry says
10-Feb-2021 Reuters
A Latin American social media industry group that includes Facebook and Twitter said a reform in Mexico would violate an international trade pact, in swift backlash to a draft bill that seeks to regulate social media platforms.
Google could use ISDS to sue Australia for millions over regulation for payment of news content
9-Feb-2021 AFTINET
Google’s Singapore subsidiary could use a controversial ISDS provision in the Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement to demand millions in compensation over proposed Australian regulation for payment of news content.
How Google could sue Australia for billions
4-Feb-2021 Australian Financial Review
Google and Facebook could sue the government for billions of dollars over a proposed law to force the digital giants to pay publishers for displaying news content, by seizing on investment clauses in the Australia-Singapore trade agreement.
US attacks Australia’s ’extraordinary’ plan to make Google and Facebook pay for news
19-Jan-2021 The Guardian
The US has said the proposed legislation could run counter to the US-Australia free trade agreement.
Cross-border data exchange: Regulatory options in international collaboration
15-Jan-2021 Federation of German Industries
German industry group BDI wants the EU to ban localization requirements and other limits to the free flow of data across borders.