WEBCAST NOV 15 – CITI Governance – US Reversal on Digital Trade Policy: Implications for Digital Governance

ISOC LIVEOn Wednesday November 15, 2023, at 11:00-12:30 EST (16:00-17:30 UTC), the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information, as part of its Global Digital Governance series, presents a webinar ‘US Reversal on Digital Trade Policy: Implications for Digital Governance‘.

On October 25, 2023, the US government set off positive and negative shock waves in the world of digital and trade policy by announcing the abandonment of its longstanding advocacy of ambitious negotiations for digital trade. Until last week, the United States had been the leading proponent of strong trade rules that would curtail governments’ restrictions on cross-border data flows and their requirements of forced data localization and access to source code as a condition of foreign firms doing business in their countries. Difficult negotiations have been underway in multiple settings including the World Trade Organization’s Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-Commerce, and in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF). The US policy reversal has greatly dismayed like-minded governments, business interests, and trade analysts who advocate international regimes that promote openness in the global digital economy. Conversely, the decision has been warmly welcomed by opposing governments and civil society organizations, and by critics of Big Tech in the US Congress.

Why did the United States reverse a long-standing position that has been central to its posture as a global leader in international trade policy? Who benefits and what is gained or lost by the shift? How will this affect current and future trade negotiations? What could the new US posture mean for the future evolution and governance of the global digital and Internet environments?

This webinar assembles a panel of expert analysts to assess the causes and consequences of the new US approach to digital trade negotiations. As always, the panelists’ conversation will be followed by an open dialogue among all webinar participants.

INTRODUCTION
Eli Noam, Paul Garrett Professor, Emeritus / Director, Columbia Institute for Tele-Information

PANEL
Nigel Cory, Associate Director, Trade Policy, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF)
Jonathan McHale, Vice President for Digital Trade , Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA)
Lee Tuthill, visiting Fellow, Institute for International Trade, University of Adelaide, Australia

MODERATOR
William J. Drake, Director of International Studies at the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information

LIVESTREAM http://livestream.com/internetsociety3/citi-usreversal

TRANSCRIPT https://archive.org/download/citi-usreversal/citi-usreversal_TRANSCRIPT.pdf

TWITTER #DigitalTrade #USReversal @Elinoam @wjdrake @Columbia_Biz @nigelcory @ITIFdc Jonathan McHale @ccianet Lee Tuthill @IITAdelaide

MASTODON  #DigitalTrade

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