Joint Sector Initiative

Designing Next Generation Trade Agreements for the Digital Economy

Designing Next Generation Trade Agreements for the Digital Economy

From a business perspective, getting an agreement on digital rules among the widest number of countries is best.  Such a decision will create conditions for improved stability, lowered risk and reduced compliance costs in engaging in trade and business everywhere, with similar or identical rules and regulations in place.  But there is a trade-off between getting an agreement with many parties and getting an agreement in a timeframe that businesses would view as helpful.  While governments can operate in cycles of years, companies are concerned about results every quarter.  This mismatch between expectations and timing is particularly acute in the digital world, where business developments are often made at light speed.  Governments are sometimes struggling to even understand the ideas and principles of digital trade and are faced with particular challenges in crafting sensible regulations. Digital trade was largely unregulated, or lightly addressed, in most places up until a few short years ago.  With few exceptions, firms were free to do whatever they wanted in the digital space, as long as they did not violate existing non-digital rules.  Governments tried to adapt physical rules, in some instances, to the digital realm.  This situation has grown increasingly untenable.  The exponential growth rates of the digital economy means that governments cannot go on trying to shoehorn analogue rules to digital products and services.   So how should governments manage the increasingly important digital world?  There are at least four broad responses so far.