The UK must break down unfair or discriminatory digital trade
barriers to help British businesses export their world-leading
services, the International Trade Secretary will say today
(Monday).
will set the challenge in a virtual keynote speech kicking off
London Tech Week to an audience of industry leaders – her first
speech since being appointed last week.
The Department for International Trade will today publish a
five-point plan for establishing a free and fair digital trade
landscape to help UK businesses and consumers thrive.
Many businesses currently face barriers that restrict their
ability to benefit from digital technology such as paperless
trading or force them to meet unjustified requirements to
localise data or disclose their intellectual properties such as
source code.
Making digital trade easier will allow businesses in every sector
to reach more customers by making it simpler to sell online and
helping them trade efficiently and cost-effectively.
Consumers will enjoy greater access to international marketplaces
offering wider variety and more affordable products and services.
They will also benefit from a secure digital economy which will
remain underpinned by the UK’s strong data protection safeguards.
Under the five-point plan, DIT will:
(1) Facilitate more open digital markets to
ensure British consumers and businesses benefit from greater
access to digital markets in other countries.
(2) Advocate free and trusted cross-border data
flows that will make it simpler and cheaper for
businesses who use data to trade internationally while
maintaining the UK’s high standards for personal data protection
(3) Champion consumer and business safeguards
through enhanced consumer and intellectual property protections
(4) Promote the development and adoption
of innovative digital trading systems such as digital
customs processes, e-contracting and paperless trading, which can
cut red tape and make trade easier, cheaper, faster, and more
secure
(5) Establish global cooperation on digital
trade via free trade agreements with international
partners and using our G7 presidency and seat at the WTO to push
for countries to become more open to digital trade.
International Trade Secretary
said:
“All of us depend on digital trade, yet British businesses
face digital barriers in countries who take a protectionist
approach. I want the UK to break down these barriers and open up
new, exciting opportunities for businesses and consumers so we
can see improved productivity, jobs and growth.
“Our five-point plan is the first step in shaping
international digital trade policy for decades to come. Through
our network of international agreements, we are breaking new
ground, pushing forward innovative ideas and setting a new gold
standard for digital trade.”
International digital trade is already a key driver of
productivity and business growth in the UK. The digital sector
contributed £150.6 billion to the UK economy in 2019, employing
4.6% of the national workforce.
Last year, the UK agreed a comprehensive digital chapter as part
of the Free Trade Agreement with Japan and in June, negotiations
were launched on a cutting-edge Digital Economy Agreement with
Singapore, pushing the frontiers of digital trade further.
In the coming months, the UK will look to conclude negotiations
with other key partners such as Australia and New Zealand,
driving forward our accession to the Comprehensive and
Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and continuing to
cement the UK as a key partner in the fast-growing Indo-Pacific
region. We will also conclude the G7’s first ever trade track,
working with our partners to establish some shared principles on
our approaches to digital trade.
-
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- The value of the UK’s remotely delivered trade is taken from
ONS data on Trade in Services by Modes of Supply
- The value of the digital sector’s economic contribution and
percentage of total employment comes from DCMS Economic Estimates
