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e-commerce | digital economy

PHL-US FTA needs to be tech-focused — DTI
23-Jan-2024 Business World
The agreement should emphasize technological innovation, research and development (R&D), education, and the integration of emerging technologies in trade, Trade Undersecretary Rafaelita M. Aldaba said.
Overview of the implications for developing countries/LDCs of the JSI E-commerce text (Revision 5)
18-Dec-2023
Developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs) face growing pressure to participate in and adopt the outcomes of plurilateral negotiations on electronic commerce.
S. Korea, EU hold first round of talks on digital trade
13-Dec-2023 Yonhap
South Korea’s trade ministry launched the first round of talks on digital trade with the European Union in line with efforts to seek broader partnerships in online and data industries.
WTO electronic commerce negotiating text (rev.5, Nov 2023)
27-Nov-2023
46 AfCFTA members sign cooperation protocols to support e-commerce in Africa: Afreximbank
22-Nov-2023 Daily News
Emily Mburu-Ndoria, Director of Trade in Services, Investment, IPR, and Digital Trade at the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), announced that several cooperation protocols have been signed to support and finance e-commerce in Africa.
US suspends Indo-Pacific talks on key aspects of digital trade -lawmakers
8-Nov-2023 Reuters
The Biden administration has suspended talks on some key digital trade aspects of its Indo-Pacific Economic Framework initiative, Democratic lawmakers said on Tuesday as negotiators from 14 countries race to finish some agreements ahead of a major Pacific Rim summit next week.
S. Korea, EU to launch talks for digital trade agreement
31-Oct-2023 Yonhap
South Korea’s trade ministry agreed with the European Union to launch negotiations for a digital trade agreement in line with efforts to seek broader partnerships in online commerce and data industries.
EU, Japan conclude agreement on data flows, EU says
30-Oct-2023 Reuters
The European Union and Japan concluded an agreement on cross-border data flows, which should drive business and may help shape global rules for data, the European Commission said.
US drops digital trade demands at WTO to allow room for stronger tech regulation
27-Oct-2023 Reuters
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai has dropped longstanding US digital trade demands in World Trade Organization talks in order to give Congress room to regulate big tech firms.
AfCFTA: More free trade? For whose benefit?
13-Oct-2023 bilaterals.org & GRAIN
So what does this trade deal mean for ordinary Africans in a time of deep climate, economic and food crises?
WTO 2023 plurilateral ecommerce draft consolidated revised text
24-Aug-2023
Some WTO Members are negotiating rules on ecommerce. This is the revised version of the draft consolidated text as of 4 August 2023
Nothing to lose but your supply chains: IPEF and the resilience agenda
23-Aug-2023 Ibon International
Trade justice activists slammed the lack of transparency in the IPEF negotiation process. Social movements have showing resistance to demand prioritising labour, climate justice, and human rights over corporate profits in Indo-Pacific trade talks.
High digital stakes in new China–ASEAN new agreement
9-Aug-2023 East Asia Forum
Negotiations for the third iteration of the China–ASEAN Free Trade Agreement continued beyond June 2023. The development of the digital economy — has raised some alarm bells for ASEAN negotiators and others.
EU and Singapore open negotiations on digital trade agreement
21-Jul-2023 The Straits Times
The agreement will have legally binding rules and provisions that give certainty to end-to-end trade, facilitate trusted data flows and promote a connected and secure digital environment.
Tech giants play too big a role in US Indo-Pacific trade talks, critics say
10-Jul-2023 Bloomberg
Technology giants are drawing protests as they aggressively try to shape a new US trade deal with Australia, South Korea and other members of the Indo-Pacific region that account for 40% of global economic output.
China to ease economic and trade rules to aid CPTPP pact bid, amid scepticism over reform commitment
3-Jul-2023 South China Morning Post
China has unveiled new measures to help its bid to join the CPTPP as Beijing presses on with its goal to reach the standards of the 11-nation deal, despite the thresholds for entry deemed by some members to be too high for the world’s second-largest economy.
Belarus, China plan to sign trade in services agreement by 2023 year-end
30-Jun-2023 BelTA
Belarus and China are planning to sign an investment service agreement by the end of the year, BelTA learned from the press service of the Economy Ministry of Belarus.
Proposed EU-India FTA
30-Jun-2023 Heinrich Böll Stiftung
Can India protect its development objectives by signing a free trade agreement with an unequal partner with different ambitions?
Korea seeks digital trade pact with EU
13-Jun-2023 The Korea Times
Korea will push to clinch a bilateral pact on digital trade with the European Union to facilitate trade in the digital realm and to enhance industry cooperation, the industry ministry said.
South Korea joins DEPA as first non-founding partner
9-Jun-2023 Pulse
South Korea has officially acceded to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement, becoming the first member country outside of its founding partners, Seoul’s Trade Ministry said.