Washington – The Computer & Communications Industry Association welcomes the announcement of the U.S.-Bangladesh Agreement on Reciprocal Trade. The Agreement contains concrete and targeted provisions on digital trade, including commitments by Bangladesh to:
- Reject discriminatory digital services taxes targeting U.S. firms;
- Maintain duty-free treatment of electronic transmissions and support a permanent moratorium at the World Trade Organization;
- Prohibit forced technology transfer, source-code disclosure, or access to proprietary technologies as a condition of market entry;
- Enable trusted cross-border data flows by recognizing Global CBPR and PRP certifications;
- Ensure meaningful stakeholder consultation on data-protection rules; and
- Protect encryption and freedom of expression by removing traceability and key-disclosure mandates from digital and OTT platform regulations.
CCIA welcomes these commitments as a clear template for future bilateral digital trade agreements, advancing innovation-friendly rules, while guarding against discriminatory and trade-distortive measures.
The following can be attributed to CCIA Vice President of Digital Trade, Jonathan McHale:
“We applaud the negotiators on both sides for securing strong, practical digital trade commitments that reflect global best practices. As the United States finalizes and pursues the next round of bilateral agreements, these provisions should serve as a benchmark for preventing discriminatory digital policies and enabling cross-border digital growth.”
