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e-commerce | digital economy

Australia-Singapore Digital Trade Agreement (Aug 2020)
6-Aug-2020 Australian Government
Japan, Britain to protect encryption keys in trade pact: report
26-Jul-2020 Japan Today
Japan and Britain have agreed not to force their companies to disclose algorithms or set up local data servers, as part of talks aimed at a bilateral trade deal, the Nikkei said on Saturday.
Tech firms want ‘strong copyright safe harbours’ in US/UK deal
7-Jul-2020 Music Ally
Unsurprisingly, the big American internet companies have views on what that trade deal should require from the UK in terms of copyright and safe harbour rules.
Chinese investments enjoy treaty protection. Beijing can drag New Delhi to tribunals
6-Jul-2020 The Print
India has a Bilateral Investment Treaty with China since 2007. The treaty provides foreign investors the right to fair and equitable treatment.
Kenya eyes e-commerce investments in US pact
29-Jun-2020 Business Daily
Kenya plans to gradually relax its regulations of the digital market to ease entry of US firms and products.
S. Korea, Singapore begin talks on digital trade deal
29-Jun-2020 Inquirer.Net
South Korea and Singapore kicked off negotiations toward a digital trade deal, includes provisions for non-discriminatory treatment for electronic transactions, easing of barriers on cross-border data flow and consumer protection.
Why Kenya must keep an eye on data rules in US trade deal talks
16-Jun-2020 Business Daily
The US aims to establish commitments to ensure Kenya refrains from imposing measures that restrict cross-border data flows and does not require the use of installation of local computing facilities.
Digital trade agreement signed with Chile and Singapore
12-Jun-2020 RNZ
New Zealand’s government has today signed a digital trade agreement with Chile and Singapore.
US, Brazil push for a mini deal
8-Jun-2020 Politico
US and Brazilian officials are working on a deal covering trade facilitation, digital trade and regulatory practices, with a target for the end of the year, a top Brazilian diplomat said.
Digital trade rules and Big Tech: Surrendering public good to private power
22-May-2020 PSI
As tech giants emerge as the undisputed winners of the Covid-19 crisis, they continue to use free trade agreements to protect themselves from regulation.
e-Commerce free trade agreements, digital chapters and the impact on labour
4-May-2020 ITUC
A comparative analysis of treaty texts and their potential practical implications.
E-Commerce protocol incorporated into AfCFTA phase III
21-Apr-2020 Ghana Web
The acceptance of the e-commerce protocol came about during the 33rd AU Ordinary Session recently held in Ethiopia.
Singapore, Australia agree to promote data connectivity, digital economy
24-Mar-2020 Regulation Asia
Singapore and Australia have committed to allowing financial institutions to choose where their data is stored and prohibiting data localisation, among a raft of other agreements.
US statement at the EU trade policy review
21-Feb-2020 US Mission to International Organizations in Geneva
The US is troubled by the EU’s non-tariff barriers that impede the use of modern agricultural tools and technologies such as biotechnology, veterinary drugs and pathogen reduction treatments.
India offers US dairy, chicken access in bid for elusive trade deal with Trump
14-Feb-2020 Reuters
India has offered to partially open up its poultry and dairy markets in a bid for a limited trade deal during US President Donald Trump’s first official visit.
UK keen on digital economy partnership with Singapore
13-Feb-2020 Straits Times
Britain is looking at the digital economy as an area to strengthen its relationship with Singapore as both sides negotiate a new post-Brexit trade deal.
Important differences between the final RCEP electronic commerce chapter and the TPPA and lessons for e-commerce in the WTO
10-Feb-2020
The US Mexico Canada Agreement extended the TPPA’s digital trade rules to provide even more extensive guarantees the already-dominant technology corporations. The RCEP puts a break on those developments.
RCEP e-commerce chapter text (Feb 2020)
8-Feb-2020
Final text of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), presumably subject to technical legal review
Economic diplomacy: APEC’s future, digital trade deals, and green debt
30-Jan-2020 The Interpreter
Malaysian PM Mahathir controls the credibility of APEC, and China controls how emerging economies cut carbon emissions.
Letter of 17 EU ministers on data flows
27-Jan-2020
A group of 17 EU countries sent a letter to the European Commission, asking for more emphasis on data in future trade deals.