Washington, D.C. — TechNet, the bipartisan policy and
political network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, today
endorsed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and urged Congress to approve the
free trade agreement.

“The U.S. technology sector has grown
into a leading force in the U.S. economy, fueled by an unparalleled commitment
to innovation and an unprecedented investment in research and development,”
said Linda Moore, President and CEO of
TechNet. “The statistics are staggering: the U.S. innovation economy now
supports more than 30 percent of U.S. GDP and employs more than 6.5 million
Americans. It’s being driven by the
incredible new technologies developed in Silicon Valley, Seattle, Austin,
Boston, and beyond, and it’s been accelerated by international trade.”

“Yet, our nation’s ability to continue to
lead in this sector is dependent on access to the fastest growing markets in
the world and the uninhibited flow of data across borders. This agreement supports U.S. technology leadership
around the globe, and will drive economic growth and job creation here at
home.”

“On behalf of our member companies, we
urge our leaders in Congress to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership.”

TPP was
negotiated between the United States and 11 Pacific Rim trading partners. Key provisions of the agreement important to
the technology sector include:

  • Rules and
    regulations to increase fair competition and consumer protection in the tech
    sector.
  • Guarantees of
    nearly unrestricted cross-border data flows between TPP member countries and
    mandates that TPP countries enact online consumer protection laws to help
    reduce fraud.
  • Prohibitions
    against “forced localization,” which will help foreclose attempts to
    require companies to build costly and unnecessary data centers in the markets
    they serve.
  • Elimination
    of tariffs and customs duties on digital products; prohibitions against content
    discrimination related to American software, music, videos, and e-books; and
    increased opportunities for American exporters of these products.

About TechNet
TechNet is the national,
bipartisan network of CEOs and senior executives that promotes the growth of
the technology industry by building long-term relationships between technology
leaders and policymakers and by advocating a targeted policy agenda at the
federal and 50-state level. In addition
to Austin, TechNet has offices in Washington, D.C., Silicon Valley, Sacramento,
Seattle, and Boston.