RSIS Webinar Series on Multilateralism Studies on “Advances in Mapping Digital Policies”

The expansion of digital trade has been boosted significantly by the pandemic. Its rapid growth has produced calls for new taxes and regulations, and highlighted the need to develop an international governance framework. Policy discussions need to be based on accurate and up-to-date information, and that is where a new initiative from the Global Trade Alert (GTA) team at St. Gallen University in Switzerland should make an important contribution. The GTA ‘s timely monitoring of trade policy developments has become a key resource, especially in the COVID crisis. Now it is being extended to cover digital trade with the aim of improving transparency and informing policymakers. This presentation by Professor Simon Evenett, the founder of the GTA, will cover the methodology used in this monitoring in the context of earlier approaches. It will be of interest to everyone involved in this most dynamic sector of trade. Further background information can be found in the paper reproduced here.