拉丁美洲经济委员会-亚太、非洲、拉丁美洲和加勒比数字贸易监管审查（英）-2023.11-98页_41mb

Digital Trade Regulatory Review Summary

This report analyzes the digital trade regulatory environment in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America and the Caribbean using the Regional Digital Trade Integration Index (RDTII) 2.0 framework.

Core Findings

• Average Scores:

  • Asia-Pacific: 0.36
  • Africa: 0.34
  • Latin America and Caribbean (LAC): 0.25

• Key Challenges: Regulatory complexity in telecom, foreign direct investment (FDI), digital governance, and traditional trade barriers.

• Regulatory Trends:

  • Asia-Pacific and Africa show more complex regulatory approaches than LAC.
  • Deregulation varies: Most LAC countries maintain an open environment, while Asia-Pacific and Africa face more restrictions.
  • A lack of harmonization across regions may increase compliance costs.

Recommendations

Cross-Region Recommendations

1. Reduce barriers to trade in information and communication technology (ICT) goods and digital services.
2. Improve FDI policies to enhance access and affordability of telecom infrastructure.
3. Promote conducive legal frameworks for digital governance, particularly in data protection and intermediary liability.

Asia-Pacific Recommendations

• Deepen regulatory cooperation in areas with common ground, such as online consumer protection and e-signatures.
• Leverage existing regional and global initiatives like the CPTA framework.
• Build capacity in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to bridge regulatory gaps.

Africa Recommendations

• Facilitate competition in the telecommunications sector to drive innovation.
• Harmonize continental digital regulations under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
• Prioritize reducing effective tariffs on ICT imports, strengthening intermediary liability protection, and acceding to key international digital agreements.

Latin America and Caribbean Recommendations

• Reform the telecom sector through measures to promote competition and functional separation.
• Strengthen subregional cooperation through organizations like MERCOSUR or the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
• Join next-generation trade agreements with provisions on digital trade and data transfers.

Conclusion

The report underscores the need for greater regulatory harmonization to improve digital trade integration. Ongoing efforts include updating the RDTII framework and fostering regional collaboration to support inclusive and sustainable digital trade.