NOV 11, 2020 | US
Tech Groups to USTR: Pandemic Underscores Need to Lift Digital Trade Barriers
Inside US Trade, November 11, 2020
By Maria Curi
The coronavirus pandemic has made removing barriers to digital trade all the more urgent, technology groups have told the Office of the US Trade Representative. The groups recently submitted comments meant to inform USTR’s “National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers.” The report, released each spring, identifies significant barriers to U.S. exports of goods and services.
BSA | The Software Alliance, the Internet Association, the App Association, the Computer and Communications Industry Association and CSI have long pushed to promote cross-border data flows and prohibit data localization policies. In their submissions this year they flagged problematic data localization efforts in China’s draft 2017 Critical Information Infrastructure Protection regulations, India’s 2018 Directive on Storage of Payment System Data, South Korea’s Cloud Security Assurance Program, proposed regulations in Indonesia and Vietnam’s 2018 Cybersecurity Law.
“The efforts of the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) to support open markets and combat trade barriers are critical to supporting global economic response and recovery to COVID-19,” BSA | The Software Alliance said in its submission. “The World Trade Organization (WTO) has reported that some 80 countries have imposed export and other trade restrictions in reaction to the COVID-19 epidemic, in addition to a growing number of digital trade barriers that impact the movement of information across borders. Such trade barriers and cross-border data transfer restrictions impede the ability of populations to comply with social distancing mandates, reduce the spread of disease, and remain economically productive.”
Original Posting: https://insidetrade.com/daily-news/tech-groups-ustr-pandemic-underscores-need-lift-digital-trade-barriers
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The Business Software Alliance (www.bsa.org) is the global trade association of the enterprise software industry, representing companies that are leaders in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, and other cutting-edge technologies. We work in over 20 markets in the US, Europe, and Asia, advocating for policies that build trust in technology so that every industry sector and the public can benefit from innovation. BSA also supports its members and their customers by raising awareness of the risks of unlicensed software use and the benefits of software asset management, driving license compliance and software adoption around the world through sound IT procurement.