WASHINGTON — January 8, 2016 — BSA and our member companies applaud the conclusion of the historic Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. 

“The TPP is a leap forward in trade agreements, establishing rules that truly reflect 21st century trade,” noted Victoria Espinel, President and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance. “It ensures opportunities and growth for all sectors that rely on data innovation by establishing the first-ever strong and enforceable general application trade rules on cross-border data flows in a multilateral agreement.”

Information and data drive today’s economies, and that will only accelerate in coming years, Espinel added. “We look forward to working with Congress and the Administration towards rapid implementation of the Agreement. The TPP lays an important foundation for digital trade that we urge be built upon and expanded in future trade agreements,” she said.

In addition to enforceable commitments on cross-border data flows, the Agreement addresses critically important areas for the software industry such as market access, transparency and due process in government procurement, as well as intellectual property protection, including prohibitions on forced technology transfers.

Producing this complex, much-needed Agreement is indeed an achievement.  We urge the Administration to seize opportunities to work with Congress to ensure that the benefits of the TPP that matter so much for 21st century trade are fully achieved.