Washington, D.C. – TechNet, the national, bipartisan network of innovation economy CEOs and senior executives, joined 44 other leading organizations in a letter to the White House urging the reversal of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s (USTR) decision to withdraw support from proposals being discussed in World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations on e-commerce. The following statement can be attributed to TechNet SVP Carl Holshouser:
“USTR’s withdrawal of U.S. support for digital trade protections at the WTO is completely unacceptable and actively works against our national interest. The United States is in a race to win the next era of innovation and cannot afford to lose its leverage on the global stage. USTR’s decision is a win for China. It severely hinders our ability to compete globally and prevent China’s digital expansionism.
“This action will harm companies in all sectors of the U.S. economy, as manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, service providers, and small businesses all rely on cross-border flows of digital information to reach markets and create American jobs. Instead, USTR should be advocating for standards that foster innovation, create new opportunities for American businesses and workers, strengthen our competitiveness and national security, and counter growing digital authoritarianism.
“Simply put, we cannot afford for USTR’s misguided stance on digital trade to undermine long-standing U.S. values and our global leadership in innovation and technology. The Biden Administration and Congress must reassure our allies and trading partners that the U.S. supports protections against forced data localization, tech transfer, and algorithm and source code disclosure. We call on USTR to immediately and unconditionally reverse this decision.”
You can read the full letter here.