Statement On The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement

Washington, DC – Internet Association President & CEO Michael Beckerman issued the following statement on the announcement of a trilateral trade agreement between the United States, Mexico, and Canada, known as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):

“The internet sector commends USTR for negotiating a ground-breaking trilateral trade agreement for the American digital economy, and we hope the administration will include all of the core U.S. legal digital framework in future agreements.

“The USMCA represents a victory for the entire American economy. Strong provisions in the agreement allow for the free flow of information across borders, prohibit forced data localization, and establish robust intermediary liability protections that ensure internet services can both host and moderate content on their platforms. These provisions will promote and protect U.S. digital exports and support millions of American jobs. Digital trade provisions benefit businesses of all sizes in every industry, and this agreement reflects key parts of U.S. law that have created a $160 billion American digital trade surplus.

“In the copyright area, however, the agreement includes only a portion of the core U.S. legal framework. We hope USTR in the future also includes key provisions in U.S. law like fair use-style rights that U.S. innovators and creators depend upon.

“Provisions in the Customs and Trade Facilitation Chapter are designed to streamline customs procedures and make it easier for small businesses to use the internet to export American products throughout North America. However, intensive work during the implementation phase of the agreement appears to be necessary to ensure that this design turns into reality. In particular, we encourage the parties to work to ensure that the provisions related to tax and duty collection and procedures for low value shipments do not lead to additional obstacles for small businesses exporting to Canada and Mexico.”

###