ITI: By Ignoring Digital Trade, USTR Actions Will Weaken U.S. Competitiveness
WASHINGTON – Today, global tech trade association ITI’s Executive Vice President of Global Policy Rob Strayer called out the Office of the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) withdrawal of key digital trade proposals and positions at the World Trade Organization (WTO) that would advance innovation, fuel the global economy, and strengthen U.S. competitiveness.
“It’s deeply disappointing that USTR – whose core mission is to advance U.S. economic competitiveness – has decided to abandon its support for protections against forced technology transfers, data localization, and source code disclosure. This abrupt and short-sighted action ignores decades of policy supported by the U.S. and its allies to ensure that all sectors can rely on data flows and digital services to reach customers, conduct research and development, maintain supply chains, and facilitate daily operations. It’s also troubling that USTR did not consult with industry prior to making such a consequential policy change, thereby ignoring the benefits of the $912 billion digital trade economy.”
As of 2022, digital trade accounts for more than 55 percent of all U.S. services exports, and global exports of ICT services totaled $912 billion last year, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. ITI’s new recommendations (opens in a new tab) detail how the U.S. can increase its leadership on digital trade issues and detailed trade barriers faced by U.S. tech companies in more than 35 key markets across the world.