TIA Urges United States to Address Digital Trade in Negotiations with Key Trade Allies

Arlington, VA (October 17, 2018) –– The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech communications networks, today encouraged the United States to address digital trade in its negotiations with key trade allies.

Cinnamon Rogers, TIA’s Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, issued the following statement on the announcement from the from the Office of the United States Trade Representative that the United States plans to negotiate trade agreements with the European Union, Japan and the United Kingdom:

“It is highly encouraging to see the United States move forward on negotiations with key American trading partners. As part of that process, since the internet plays an essential role in enabling modern trade and boosting U.S. economic productivity, it is essential that we update trade rules to create a solid foundation for the U.S. telecom equipment industry to compete and succeed.

“We hope the forthcoming negotiations will provide an opportunity for adoption in new trade agreements of the highly constructive text on digital trade that appears in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. We are strongly supportive of a number of provisions in USMCA that set an important precedent on digital trade, including a default for unrestricted data transfers across borders, ban on forced localization of physical infrastructure, and prohibition on forced transfer of source code and algorithms.

“In addition, USMCA includes valuable new protections for trade secrets and advances cybersecurity objectives by promoting appropriate risk-based approaches. We look forward to providing input on the negotiation as part of the public consultation process under Trade Promotion Authority requirements.”