WASHINGTON – October 16, 2018 – BSA | The Software Alliance welcomes the US Trade Representative’s notification to Congress of its intent to open trade negotiations with Japan, the United Kingdom, and the European Union. These negotiations present opportunities to include digital trade rules and continue working toward an international consensus on data. Data is integral to the global economy. Every industry, from finance to healthcare, relies on the ability to move data across borders. Data also powers software, which in turn drives US job creation, competitiveness, and innovation. BSA encourages US negotiators to build off the digital trade provisions in the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement and BSA’s digital trade agenda and to incorporate strong data provisions in these upcoming trade agreements.