WASHINGTON, D.C.- ACT | The App Association has long been actively engaging with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and its member economies to identify and address barriers to digital trade and digital economy innovation. As APEC members convene in Korea this week, the App Association calls on leaders to strengthen commitments to a more predictable and competitive digital trade environment across the APEC region that are critical to enabling micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) growth and job creation.

To best support MSME growth and success, APEC leaders should come together to create strong commitments to the following:

  • Establishing a moratorium on tariffs and customs formalities on electronic transmissions, including content;
  • Prohibiting restrictions on the cross-border flow of data and forced localization of computing facilities;
  • Providing adequate and effective protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, including by prohibiting the disclosure of proprietary source code and algorithms as a condition of market entry or conducting business;
  • Consistently adhering to non-discriminatory treatment and good regulatory practices in the regulation of nascent and emerging technologies and industries, including ex post remedies based on demonstrated and systemic harms, transparency, open consultation, and sufficient timelines for implementation; and
  • Relying on globally-accepted international technical standards for the satisfaction of domestic regulatory requirements.

“There are enormous opportunities for APEC in both existing and emerging technology markets, including artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and quantum computing,” said Morgan Reed, president of ACT | The App Association. “The gathering of APEC leaders in Gyeongju is an unprecedented opportunity to reinforce a framework that truly empowers MSMEs and creates prosperity across each of APEC’s 21 member economies. We call on APEC leaders to reinforce a modern and comprehensive digital economy framework that puts APEC at the forefront of the fourth industrial revolution.”

The App Association’s full recommendations to APEC leaders can be accessed at: ACT | The App Association Recommendations Supporting APEC Efforts to Empower MSMEs in the Digital Economy

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