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e-commerce | digital economy

US, Japan sign trade deals
8-Oct-2019 The Hill
President Trump oversaw the signing of two limited trade deals with Japan, slashing tariffs on $7.2 billion worth of America’s agricultural exports, but avoiding thorny issues such as auto tariffs.
US-Japan digital trade agreement text (2019)
8-Oct-2019 USTR
As published by the Office of the United States Trade Representative
Don’t trade our lives away in free trade negotiations
1-Oct-2019 Forum for Trade Justice
To sign the RCEP and start negotiations on a FTA with the US when the Indian economy is on the brink of economic downturn and needs strong domestic policies is a decision that is not in national or public interest.
US, India keen to wrap up trade deal
18-Sep-2019 The Hindu
Both countries are frantically working on ways to resolve long-disputed trade issues, especially relating to medical devices, agriculture, and e-commerce.
RCEP countries aim to strike a balance on e-commerce ahead of trade deal conclusion
18-Sep-2019 The Jakarta Post
The different levels of digital trade development and readiness among the 16 countries currently negotiating the RCEP have placed e-commerce in a list of top major issues to be finalized in the coming months.
Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) negotiations
16-Sep-2019 New Zealand Foreign Trade and Affairs
New Zealand will take part in negotiations with Chile and Singapore to establish new international rules and best practice for supporting and promoting trade in the digital era.
Australia should join DEPA negotiations
17-Aug-2019 East Asia Forum
New Zealand and Singapore announced negotiations on a Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) that would establish new trade rules and best practices for the digital era. Australia should join and actively participate in these negotiations.
Japan and US break new ground on free digital trade
31-Jul-2019 Nikkei Asian Review
Japanese and American trade negotiators have reached a broad agreement on the digital economy, in which digital products are tariff-free and businesses can host servers wherever they choose.
US opts for quick agreement with Japan on agriculture
22-Apr-2019 Nikkei Asian Review
Latest trade figures show that the trade imbalance persists, #US had a $6.67 billion goods trade deficit with Japan. So the tariff reductions under a bilateral trade pact will be kept to levels set by the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Here’s what you need to know about CUSMA and digital trade
15-Apr-2019 Global News
"The data localization and data transfer rules may erode efforts to safeguard privacy and many other provisions represent a lost opportunity to establish higher standards," says expert
The risk of e-commerce provisions in the RCEP
8-Apr-2019 The Diplomat
ASEAN members will need to resist the new normative regime proposal if they are to maintain their regulatory sovereignty and the policy space to capitalize on the 21st century digital revolution.
17th AEC Council meeting held in Singapore
13-Nov-2018 All India Radio News
ASEAN Economic Ministers and AEC Ministers signed the ASEAN Agreement on e-Commerce, concluded the ASEAN Trade in Services Agreement (ATISA) and finalised the fourth protocol to amend the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (ACIA).
Japan seeking wider coverage of trade agreement
5-Nov-2018 Manila Standard
Japan plans to expand the coverage of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement to include the e-commerce sector and more concessions in agriculture.
How the USMCA falls short on digital trade, data protection and privacy
4-Oct-2018 Washington Post
The digital trade chapter restricts data localization policies and bans restrictions on data transfers across borders.
New NAFTA could include tough intellectual property laws that Canada fought against in TPP
29-Aug-2018 Global News
The new trade deal reached between the US and Mexico contains a myriad of rules and tariffs, and among them include tougher rules on copyright and intellectual property.
EU Parliament questions US compliance with data privacy shield, calls for suspension
12-Jul-2018 ICTSD
The European Parliament adopted a resolution to suspend the EU-US Privacy Shield agreement, saying the US’ compliance efforts to date “fail to provide enough data protection for EU citizens.”
COMESA seeks solutions to digital free trade area
24-Jun-2018 KT Press
Implementation of the much anticipated Digital Free Trade Area (DFTA) in central-Eastern Africa bloc will have to wait until member states agree on harmonization of policies.
Tokyo approves bill in next step toward enactment of new Trans-Pacific Partnership
13-Jun-2018 The Japan Times
Japan’s bicameral legislature, The Diet has approved a bill on to ratify the 11-country Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
CPTPP jeopardises the future of open source software: OSIA
13-Jun-2018 Spatial Source
Open Source Industry Australia (OSIA) is calling upon the federal government to scrap the CPTPP over provisions that could decimate the Australian open source community.
Business and tech groups call for more review of ePrivacy regulation
7-Jun-2018 Information Technology Industry Council
The group expressed concern about the extremely broad scope of the draft ePrivacy Regulation, which would greatly limit the processing of a broad array of both personal and non-personal data and lead to inconsistencies with the GDPR framework.