WASHINGTON – October 26, 2018 – BSA | The Software Alliance welcomes the progress that countries have made in ratifying the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), moving the global economy one step closer to a consensus on digital trade. According to recent reports, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada, and Australia have all enacted legislation or are close to enacting legislation to implement their CPTPP obligations. This recent progress indicates that the advanced and ambitious digital trade rules in the CPTPP may soon go into effect in various countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region. These rules – which include obligations on non-discriminatory treatment of digital products, cross-border data transfers, and electronic authentication of contracts, as well as prohibitions on data localization requirements, on source code disclosure requirements, and on customs duties on electronic transmissions – are critical to the future growth of the 21st century economy. Following on the heels of the recent conclusion of the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the future entry into force of the CPTPP will be an important step toward creating much-needed international rules on data.

Learn more about BSA’s digital trade priorities and the benefits of cross-border data flows.