Comments to the UK Parliament’s Subcommittee on International Agreement Regarding U.S.-UK Digital Trade

In a submission to the United Kingdom’s Subcommittee on International Agreements, ITIF outlines how United Kingdom should use UK-U.S. and other trade negotiations to pursue an ambitious digital trade agenda. To become a world leader in the global digital economy, the United Kingdom should advocate for new rules, norms, and mechanisms for cooperation on digital trade, data governance, and standards related to emerging technologies. It’s overarching goal should be to build rules-based, interoperable, and innovation-friendly approaches at the bilateral and global level. ITIF recommends that the United Kingdom complement new digital trade rules with mechanisms for greater cooperation on digital and data-related regulations, similar to what Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and Singapore have done on data privacy, artificial intelligence, and other issues. ITIF recommends that the United Kingdom pursue new ways to build open data and data trusts within and alongside trade agreements, build collaboration on emerging technologies (such as high-performance computing and advanced manufacturing), build pre-standardization cooperation for new and emerging technologies, and develop specific policies, tools, and support for firms as they adjust to managing different data realms so as to maximize the benefits of data-driven innovation from non-European Union trading partners.