Washington — The International Trade Commission will hold a hearing Tuesday to prepare for two upcoming digital trade reports. In a recent report, the ITC estimated that business to business e-commerce services will reach $1.1 trillion by 2020. The Computer & Communications Industry Association is scheduled to testify on barriers to the growth of digital trade in the business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets.
In a pre-hearing filing, CCIA told the ITC that “restricted data flows, forced technology standards and localization requirements, and unbalanced intermediary liability regimes impose barriers to entry on economic sectors that may not traditionally be considered part of the technology industry, but which now rely on Internet-enabled services and hardware to reach new customers.”
The following can be attributed to CCIA Vice President Matt Schruers who will testifying at the hearing Tuesday:
“One of the longest standing barriers to digital trade involves differing laws on liability protections with our trading partners. U.S. companies face barriers entering markets where they may be prosecuted for operating in ways that are legal in the U.S., on issues from copyright to pre-censoring user comments or materials before they appear on a site. We commend the ITC for devoting attention to issues such as data localization and impediments to cross border data flows, and fully support the U.S. Government’s efforts to remove barriers to digital trade.”