Washington – Officials from the United States and their counterparts concluded a negotiating round for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework in Bali, Indonesia, with parties discussing a range of issues including newly-tabled proposals on digital trade. Launched in May 2022, the U.S. aims for IPEF to solidify the partnership and improve trade and economic cooperation with partners in the region.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association strongly encourages parties to seek robust digital trade rules to set a high-standard agreement and has joined partner industry groups in calling for ambitious digital trade rules in IPEF. CCIA previously offered recommendations to the Biden Administration on priorities for maximizing benefits to the digital economy through this initiative. These recommendations encourage negotiators to tackle new issues undermining the promise of digital trade—whether best practices to guide the common approaches to AI, cybersecurity, digital resiliency, and digital authoritarianism, or rules to counter efforts to impose ‘network usage fees’ on content distributed over the Internet.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association has advocated for tech policy that advances innovation, including open digital trade, for over 50 years.
The following can be attributed to Jonathan McHale, Vice President of Digital Trade:
“We note the continued work of negotiators, and are pleased to see text-based proposals on digital trade, a key component in finalizing a meaningful trade agreement with key partners in the Indo-Pacific region. As text for the digital trade chapter is advanced, industry hopes that ‘IPEF can build off—and not weaken’—the strong foundation set by USMCA and the U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement to ensure digital goods and services can flow between member countries and boost U.S. export competitiveness. Addressing these issues through IPEF will go a long way to protect the free and open internet and promote market access for large and small suppliers alike.”
“As negotiations continue, we strongly encourage U.S. officials to release further details about the status of negotiations and the content of the proposed text. Consistent with the Administration’s goal when launched, IPEF should aim to go further than previous agreements in terms of transparency and multi stakeholder input.”