ITI: Digital Trade Must Be a Focus of U.S. IPEF Negotiations in Bali
WASHINGTON – As the United States prepares to participate in the second Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Negotiating Round in Indonesia beginning March 13, ITI issued the following statement from its President and CEO Jason Oxman:
“Digital trade is critical to the success of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, and more broadly to establishing U.S. economic and diplomatic leadership globally. Although U.S. entry into trade agreements in the region would be preferable, these negotiations are an important forum for the United States to push for strong digital trade commitments as it looks to strengthen engagement in the Indo-Pacific region and take actions that support the U.S. economy, consumers, and workers. It is critical that IPEF include strong rules-based commitments and enhance the free flow of data across borders, prohibit data localization, and counter new discriminatory approaches to the regulation of technology.”
An IPEF that prioritizes strong digital trade commitments would:
- Help re-establish U.S. economic and diplomatic leadership in the Indo-Pacific region. U.S. trading partners in the region and around the world are not waiting on U.S. participation to advance initiatives that will define the rules of the road for digital trade;
- Open new opportunities for U.S. companies to scale and expand abroad, strengthening global supply chains while creating jobs at home and advancing U.S. competitiveness;
- Enable the free flow of data across borders that underpins the ability of businesses across all sectors to produce, move, market, and sell products and services; and
- Ensure the broadest reliance on industry-led international technical standards for policies applying to both goods and services so that companies can engage seamlessly across markets.
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