暗网中文论坛

The Arizona 暗网中文论坛of Commerce & Industry and the U.S. 暗网中文论坛of Commerce more than 150 state and local chambers, including 13 from Arizona, in calling on the White House to reverse course and support digital trade rules approved by Congress in previous trade agreements.

鈥淒igital trade supports more than three million American jobs. Companies in diverse fields including services, manufacturing, arts and entertainment, and agri-business increasingly rely on the digital economy to find customers, sell goods and services, manage operations, coordinate research and development, strengthen compliance, and ensure secure payments,鈥� the letter says.

鈥淥ver the years, the U.S. and its allies have negotiated agreements鈥攊ncluding the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA)鈥攖o support mutually beneficial cross-border data flows and to defend against digital protectionism. These agreements protect American companies from unfair treatment.鈥�

Reversing course at WTO

The U.S. Trade Representative at a meeting of the World Trade Organization last fall reversed previously held U.S. policy positions on digital trade, a move seen as a win for activists and policymakers who call for a heavier regulatory hand over the tech industry.

The U.S. had previously called for policies that encouraged the free, cross-border flow of data used by the private sector, and that would prevent countries from requiring firms to transfer software source codes or from discriminating against U.S.-made digital goods.

USTR Katherine Tai at the WTO meeting reversed course, however.

Opponents on the Hill

Business groups and some on Capitol Hill have expressed deep skepticism over USTR鈥檚 moves, including Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR).

鈥淯STR鈥檚 decision to walk away from the negotiating table in Geneva is a win for China, plain and simple,鈥� Wyden last October following USTR鈥檚 announcement. 鈥淚n addition to abandoning our democratic allies in these negotiations, USTR is leaving a vacuum that China鈥攁n active participant in these negotiations–will be more than pleased to fill. USTR鈥檚 action today is a win for the Chinese government鈥檚 efforts to have unlimited access to U.S. data, a win for Chinese tech giants who want to bully smaller countries into following the Chinese model of internet censorship, and a win for China鈥檚 Great Firewall, which locks out American companies and locks Chinese citizens into a repressive regime of government surveillance.鈥�

Canada digital services tax

Also under the microscope is a digital services tax expected to be passed in the Canadian Senate this month.

According to the Computer & Communications Industry Association, Canadian Bill C-59 would impose a digital services tax of 3% on revenues from online marketplaces, online advertising, social media, and user data services. The DST would disproportionately harm U.S. businesses, costing U.S. businesses between $0.9 billion and $2.3 billion annually.

In a June 10 to Tai, the U.S. 暗网中文论坛called on the Biden administration to seek relief via the dispute mechanisms under USMCA.

鈥淣ow that Canada is poised to pass this legislation, in the face of broad U.S. opposition, it is clear that a more robust response is called for鈥攁 response reliant on the trade tools you recently endorsed,鈥� the U.S. 暗网中文论坛said. 鈥淪pecifically, we urge USTR to initiate formal dispute settlement procedures with Canada, beginning with consultations under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Free Trade Agreement (USMCA).鈥�