SEP 30, 2018 | US
BSA Praises New, Modernized USMCA Agreement
WASHINGTON – October 1, 2018 – BSA | The Software Alliance applauds the announcement of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), in connection with efforts to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). We are pleased to see the agreement includes digital trade provisions similar to BSA’s digital trade agenda and we look forward to working with Congress on the implementation of the agreement.
BSA supports digital trade provisions that ensure data can be transferred cross-border; minimize restrictions on where data can be stored and processed; prohibit discriminatory rules from being applied to digital products; limit requirements to disclose proprietary source code and algorithms; and promote collaboration on issues ranging from government-generated data to cybersecurity challenges.
Strong digital trade provisions in North America will not only drive future software innovation across the region, but should also serve as a model for the inclusion of strong digital trade provisions in future trade agreements, including with the United Kingdom, Japan, and the World Trade Organization.
Victoria Espinel, President and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance, explains, “This is a good day for the software industry and users of software services. It’s a modernized agreement with important digital rules that ban local data requirements.”
Looking forward, BSA encourages the USTR to continue pursuing agreements with strong digital trade provisions, while working proactively to support US innovation and leadership in emerging technologies and software.
ABOUT BSA
BSA | The Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the leading advocate for the global software industry before governments and in the international marketplace. Its members are among the world’s most innovative companies, creating software solutions that help businesses of all sizes in every part of the economy to modernize and grow.
With headquarters in Washington, DC, and operations in more than 30 countries, BSA pioneers compliance programs that promote legal software use and advocates for public policies that foster technology innovation and drive growth in the digital economy.