News & Politics

  • EU Council Approves Strategic Plan to Strengthen Europe’s Digital Infrastructure and Cybersecurity

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    On December 6, 2024, the Council of the European Union approved conclusions regarding the European Commission’s White Paper titled “How to master Europe’s digital infrastructure needs?” This approval underscores the EU’s commitment to advancing secure, resilient, and high-capacity digital infrastructures across member states. Key Highlights: These conclusions align with the EU’s broader objectives of achieving… Read more

  • Indonesia’s Trade Policy Regime amidst Global Challenges

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    The global trade environment is marked by geopolitical shifts, fragmenting globalization. This fragmentation poses substantial implications for emerging economies in Asia and ASEAN, including Indonesia. ASEAN economies have benefited immensely from globalization over the past four to five decades, with major progress driven by integration into the global economy. However, growing geopolitical tensions, from Ukraine… Read more

  • ICC DSI Launches Digital Trade Reliability Assessment Tool  

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    A technical tool to assess the reliability of digital services or networks, launched today, will facilitate the transfer of Electronic Transferable Records (ETR) between supply chain parties. Developed by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)’s Digital Standards Initiative (DSI) and the Digital Governance Council (DGC) of Canada, the new assessment framework enables an entity to… Read more

  • Project Aperta: Enabling Cross-Border Data Portability Through Open Finance Interoperability

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    The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is launching Project Aperta to explore how to reduce frictions and costs in global finance by enabling seamless cross-border data portability. The project aims to connect the domestic open finance infrastructures of different jurisdictions. The initial use case to be explored is in trade finance for small and medium-sized… Read more

  • A Vision for the WTO’s Global Digital Trade Rules

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    At the 13th Ministerial Conference in 2024, World Trade Organization (WTO) members demonstrated their commitment to advancing digital trade rules—those which govern both the trade of digital products and the digital processes used in international trade—by calling for the revitalization of the 1998 work program on electronic commerce. That directive is the foundation of the… Read more

  • Analysis: Economic Security and Digital Trade: Time for an EU-US Digital Agreement

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    In response to rising geopolitical tensions, both the EU and the US are increasingly restricting the cross-border flow of trade and investments. This presents a challenge to trade liberalisation efforts in general and affects digital trade in particular. This report reviews ongoing efforts to advance the integration of digital trade and proposes a way forward… Read more

  • Digital Horizons: Unlocking New Zealand’s Digital Trade Potential with Southeast Asia

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    The digital economy is growing at an unprecedented rate, accounting for nearly 16% of global GDP today, and 18% by 2028. Southeast Asia is a particular powerhouse, with the digital economy projected to exceed USD$1 trillion by 2030. Digital trade is estimated to account for around one-quarter of all crossborder commerce. Exports of digitally-delivered services… Read more

  • Africa is Turning its Attention to Digital Trade

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    This newsletter focuses into digital trade, particularly highlighting critical issues from Africa’s perspective, such as data governance and the AfCFTA. tralac also explore the forefront technology of artificial intelligence (AI), along with digital governance and digital inclusion. For African countries, the most recent report from 2023 indicates a varied landscape of internet inclusivity. South Africa… Read more

  • Brazil and China Seek Systems Integration to Facilitate Trade Between the Two Countries

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    On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, Brazil and China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate Brazil’s single foreign trade portal with its Chinese counterpart. This initiative aims to enhance the flexibility, security, and efficiency of foreign trade operations between the two nations. The agreement aims to achieve interoperability between systems by allowing them to… Read more

  • International Trade Administration Announces Efforts to Advance U.S. Competitiveness and Trade in the Digital Economy

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    Today, the International Trade Administration (ITA) announced a series of new initiatives to advance U.S. competitiveness and trade in the digital economy. These initiatives will support policy advocacy in international engagements, provide tailored resources for U.S. businesses to leverage, and equip ITA’s digital attachés with applied experience to empower them to be stronger advocates for U.S. commercial… Read more