Page 19 - THE SOUTH CHINA BUSINESS JOURNAL
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provisions fall short of the high standards of To forestall these threats,
the USMCA’s digital trade chapters in some areas. the United States must
In any event, interest in the undertaking from a act now to push forward
number of countries is substantial. a vision for a digital trade
agreement that can secure
The architecture for the agreement should be these opportunities for
open, leaving room for countries to join later if American workers, small
they can demonstrate they are willing and able businesses, services
to make robust commitments to join even if industries, and others. The
they are from other world regions (e.g., the UK). case for American leadership
There is precedent from plurilateral agreements on digital trade is strong: It
within the WTO winning new accessions over is time for the United States
time, so devising a path for new parties to join to move forward on this
later is important. important initiative.
In sum, the United States finds itself at a moment
of promise and peril on digital trade. Export
opportunities for U.S. small businesses and
service industries are expanding rapidly, and the
United States is well positioned to build on its
formidable advantages in these areas. However,
these opportunities are endangered by the spread
of digital protectionism and the accumulation
of discriminatory digital rules that often target
American firms.
the USMCA’s digital trade chapters in some areas. the United States must
In any event, interest in the undertaking from a act now to push forward
number of countries is substantial. a vision for a digital trade
agreement that can secure
The architecture for the agreement should be these opportunities for
open, leaving room for countries to join later if American workers, small
they can demonstrate they are willing and able businesses, services
to make robust commitments to join even if industries, and others. The
they are from other world regions (e.g., the UK). case for American leadership
There is precedent from plurilateral agreements on digital trade is strong: It
within the WTO winning new accessions over is time for the United States
time, so devising a path for new parties to join to move forward on this
later is important. important initiative.
In sum, the United States finds itself at a moment
of promise and peril on digital trade. Export
opportunities for U.S. small businesses and
service industries are expanding rapidly, and the
United States is well positioned to build on its
formidable advantages in these areas. However,
these opportunities are endangered by the spread
of digital protectionism and the accumulation
of discriminatory digital rules that often target
American firms.
