ITI: U.S.-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership Can Set New Benchmark for Modern, Inclusive Trade
WASHINGTON – Today, global tech trade association ITI underscored the potential for setting a new benchmark for modern, inclusive trade in the digital era in the U.S.-Kenya Strategic Trade and Investment Partnership (STIP). In comments to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), ITI emphasized that the U.S. can drive development and improve standards of living through facilitating trade, investment, and connectivity in the STIP’s digital trade provisions.
“[This partnership] presents a unique opportunity for the U.S. government to foster a new global benchmark for modern, comprehensive, and digitally-focused commitments that clearly demonstrate the benefits of digital trade for development, sustainability, innovation, and global competitiveness,” ITI wrote in its submission. “Our comments not only focus on means for enhancing cooperation with Kenya but are drafted with an eye toward establishing rules and programming that can be more broadly adopted and support African regional economic integration. We look forward to working with USTR both to share the views of our members and to explore new and innovative ways to reach high standard commitments and economically meaningful outcomes.”
In its submission, ITI encourages USTR to set a new benchmark for facilitating inclusive trade in the digital era between developed and developing countries. ITI strongly urges USTR to ensure that STIP outcomes are binding and enforceable and do not allow for broad exceptions or derogations. The association also advises the United States to counter protectionist digital economy trends, safeguard the interests of U.S. workers, and bolster U.S. political, strategic, and economic equities and opportunities in Kenya, as well as set a model for the continent more broadly. As such, ITI recommends the STIP comprise core disciplines that:
- Prohibit restrictions on the cross-border flow of data and forced localization of computing facilities, including for financial services and electronic payment services data;
- Establish a permanent moratorium on tariffs and customs formalities on electronic transmissions, including the transmitted content;
- Enshrine non-discriminatory treatment of digital goods and services and stop trading partners from pursuing both de jure and de facto discriminatory approaches to digital regulation; and
- Eliminate local content and forced partnership requirements that hinder efforts to bolster supply chain resiliency.
Read the full comments here.