WASHINGTON – October 1, 2018 – BSA | The Software Alliance applauds the announcement of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), in connection with efforts to modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). We are pleased to see the agreement includes digital trade provisions similar to BSA’s digital trade agenda and we look forward to working with Congress on the implementation of the agreement.

BSA supports digital trade provisions that ensure data can be transferred cross-border; minimize restrictions on where data can be stored and processed; prohibit discriminatory rules from being applied to digital products; limit requirements to disclose proprietary source code and algorithms; and promote collaboration on issues ranging from government-generated data to cybersecurity challenges. 

Strong digital trade provisions in North America will not only drive future software innovation across the region, but should also serve as a model for the inclusion of strong digital trade provisions in future trade agreements, including with the United Kingdom, Japan, and the World Trade Organization.

Victoria Espinel, President and CEO of BSA | The Software Alliance, explains, “This is a good day for the software industry and users of software services. It’s a modernized agreement with important digital rules that ban local data requirements.”

Looking forward, BSA encourages the USTR to continue pursuing agreements with strong digital trade provisions, while working proactively to support US innovation and leadership in emerging technologies and software.