Digitrade Digest #46
India and US want to focus on resilient supply chains, UNCTAD policy brief on digital trade
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India -US
India, US to collaborate on building resilient supply chains: USTR report
Business Standard: Countries like the US and India have highlighted the importance of having a resilient supply chain network that is more robust and diverse.
In 2022, USTR will look to the TPF to tackle issues that include the relationship between trade, labour, and the environment, it said.
In 2021, the US with India on an ongoing basis in response to specific concerns affecting the full range of the bilateral trade relationship.
In November 2021, the two countries relaunched the United StatesIndia Trade Policy Forum (TPF), which is the principal bilateral forum for discussing trade and investment issues affecting the two countries.
During the TPF meeting, the United States and India had exchanged views on a broad range of trade concerns and issued a joint statement that highlighted the resolution of certain specific trade concerns and identified areas for future engagement through the TPF technical-level workings groups on agricultural goods, non-agricultural goods, services and investment and intellectual property.
These TPF working groups, which include participation by senior-level officials from key US agencies, provide an opportunity to achieve meaningful results and address the general trend of increasingly trade restrictive policies in India that continue to inhibit the potential of the trade relationship.
In addition, the United States has indicated that it would engage the government of India in deeper cooperative dialogue on issues in the areas of labour, environment, digital trade, and good regulatory practices, among others.
Policy Brief
Digital trade: Opportunities and actions for developing countries
UNCTAD: Digital trade is increasingly important and comprises both digitally ordered trade in goods and services (cross-border electronic commerce (e-commerce)) and digitally delivered trade (services delivered internationally through the Internet or other networks). However, countries vary greatly in their readiness for digital trade.
If the share of developing countries, particularly the least developed countries, in world trade is to increase, as envisaged in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, actions are needed to strengthen their capacity to benefit from digital trade.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has made this need even more urgent.
Key points:
Digital trade – trade in goods and services that are digitally ordered and/or digitally delivered – accounts for a growing share of international trade, which increased during the pandemic.
Digitalization creates new trade opportunities and the potential to support resilience in times of disruption, yet economies and firms with low levels of digital preparedness risk falling further behind.
Ensuring more inclusive outcomes from digital trade requires a holistic and coordinated approach to formulating and implementing relevant policies, often supported by development assistance.
The Digitrade Digest is a weekly publication of the Digital Rights Program at Public Citizen.