UK and Singapore start negotiations on Digital Trade Agreement

The UK and Singapore on Monday 28 June launched negotiations on a new ambitious digital trade agreement that could remove barriers to digital trade and enable UK exporters to expand into high-tech markets.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and the Singaporean Minister in charge of Trade Relations Mr S. Iswaran will meet by video call to kick start negotiations.

The UK is the first European country to start negotiations on a Digital Economy Agreement (DEA). Singapore and the UK are both global leaders in the digital economy and 70% of UK services exports, from financial and legal services to music streaming and e-books, were digitally delivered to Singapore in 2019, worth £3.2 billion.

The DEA would open further opportunities for British businesses to deliver their services through digital trade. It would help cut red tape and ensure companies can trade more efficiently through digital technology such as electronic transactions, e-signatures, and e-contracts.

Today’s announcement is part of the government’s strategy to place the UK at the centre of a network of modern free trade agreements with dynamic countries, and to enhance our status as a global hub for services and digital trade.

Negotiations will focus on:

• Securing open digital markets for exporters, allowing them to expand into new markets and sell traditional products in new ways.
• Ensuring free and trusted cross-border data flows, while upholding high standards of personal data protection.
• Cutting red tape for UK businesses by promoting digital trading systems such as digital customs and border procedures that will save time and money when exporting.
• Upholding consumer rights and protecting businesses’ valuable intellectual property like source code and cryptography.
• Deepening our cooperation on future growth sectors like fintech and lawtech, while working with Singapore to strengthen our collective cybersecurity capabilities and keep our countries safe.

To read the full details, go to www.gov.uk

>> MORE NEWS