The Digital Trade Integration project

The Digital Trade Integration (DTI) database is an open-access repository of regulatory policies in 120 countries pertaining to the digital economy. By providing comprehensive and comparable information on regulatory policies, the database boosts the transparency of digital trade governance, permitting analysis of differences in policies across countries, their effectiveness in supporting international trade and investment in digital-intensive products, and identification of good practices.

The project intends to complement existing initiatives mapping regulatory measures while providing a specific focus on policy measures directly relevant to digital trade integration with coverage of all components of digital trade: ICT goods, intermediate goods, and inputs; online services; foreign investment in sectors relevant to digital trade; and data. For the first release of the repository in October 2022, the database contains only entries that are expected to limit digital trade integration. By the end of 2023, these policies will be complemented by measures that are expected to facilitate digital trade integration.

Main output

  • Open-access repository: The DTI repository contains information on policies relevant to digital trade integration that is presented in a transparent and open format. The database is organized under 12 pillars: tariffs and trade defense measures applied on ICT goods, intermediate goods, and inputs; public procurement of ICT goods and online services; Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in sectors relevant to digital trade; Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) with a focus on copyright, patents, and trade secrets regulation; telecom infrastructure & competition; domestic data policies; cross-border data policies; intermediate liability; content access; quantitative trade restrictions for ICT goods and online services; technical standards applied to ICT goods and online services; online sales and transactions. You can browse the repository here.
  • Index: The Digital Trade Integration index is based on the data of the DTI repository. It allows for comparison between countries and increased transparency of digital trade policies in the global economy. The index will be released in late 2023.

Mission

The repository and index are designed as a tool to support academic and policy research on regulatory policies in the area of digital trade. The project covers 120 countries and strives to include more countries to become a reference for research across the world. The repository is updated on a regular basis, while the index will be updated every year.

About the database

The starting point for data collection has been the Digital Trade Estimates database by the European Center for International Political Economy (ECIPE). The methodology has been improved and the coverage expanded thanks to the partnership with several academic institutions and international organizations. In particular, regulatory data for the following countries has been collected in collaboration with:

  • the London School of Economics, Hertie School, and Bocconi University: 27 Member States of the European Union, Canada, Norway, United Kingdom, and the United States;
  • the Digital Cooperation Organization (DCO): Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. The DCO also provided feedback on the datasets for Nigeria and Pakistan;
  • the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC): Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru;
  • the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN-ESCAP): Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, Vanuatu, and Vietnam;
  • the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA): Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gagon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

For more information about related regional initiatives, please visit the following websites:

Methodology

A description of the pillars and indicators in the database can be found in this paper, which also contains information about the data collection methodology and main sources for the analysis. A more detailed user guide will be released in early 2023.

Suggested citation: Ferracane, M. F. (Ed.). 2022. Digital Trade Integration Database. European University Institute et al. At dti.eui.eu

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