Pakistan has not adopted the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty.

Pakistan is not a signatory of the 1996 World Trade Organization (WTO) Information Technology Agreement (ITA) nor the 2015 expansion (ITA II).

In June 2021, the Pakistani National Tariff Commission imposed a definitive anti-dumping duty for a period of five years on imports of phthalic anhydride (HS code: 291735) from China, Chinese Taipei, the Republic of Korea and Russia. This product is used in the production of flexible PVC products such as cables. The duty imposed on imports originating from China is 11.12%, from the Republic of Korea ranges from 9.57% to 14.82%, from Chinese Taipei ranges from 14.94% to 24.61%, and from Russia is 16.31%.

According to Art. 24 of the Public Procurement Rules, procuring agencies are required to prioritise domestic suppliers or contractors when evaluating and comparing bids against international competitors. It is reported that a price preference of up to 25% is applied in all public procurement processes, depending on the level of domestic value-added content. The maximum preference is granted when at least 35% of the value added originates domestically

Pakistan is not a party to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). However, the country has been an observer of the WTO GPA since 2015.

There are no ownership restrictions on sectors relevant for digital trade. However, it is reported that Pakistan prohibits foreign ownership in all sectors for citizens/companies from India and Israel.

It is reported that Pakistan implements investment screening mechanisms for inbound foreign investments, blocking those deemed to pose a risk to national security based on the screening process. While the Board of Investment serves as the official lead agency for investment screening, it lacks the internal capacity to conduct such screenings and relies heavily on intelligence agencies to carry out the necessary due diligence.

Pakistan is not a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

The Copyright Ordinance of 1962 establishes a clear framework of copyright exceptions based on the fair dealing model, allowing the lawful use of copyrighted works by others without prior permission. Section 57, introduced through the 2000 amendment, outlines these exceptions, which include uses such as research or private study, criticism or review, and the public reading or recitation of reasonable excerpts from published literary or dramatic works, among others.

Papua New Guinea lacks a comprehensive framework for consumer protection that applies to online transactions.

Papua New Guinea has not signed the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts.

Papua New Guinea enacted the Electronic Transactions Act, drawing upon the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Commerce.

Papua New Guinea enacted the Electronic Transactions Act, drawing upon the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Signatures.

Papua New Guinea permits self-certification of ICT equipment compliance, including, where relevant, radio transmission requirements and electromagnetic compatibility/interference (EMC/EMI), through a Supplier’s Declaration of Conformity (SDoC) submitted under NICTA’s type approval/registration framework. Under NICTA’s Type Approval Guideline (TA100 G), the SDoC is a written undertaking by the registered dealer that the apparatus complies with specified requirements and standards, and expressly indicates that the dealer has performed its own conformity assessment on the basis of independent test data or certification from the manufacturer or an accredited or internationally recognised test laboratory, applying standards recognised by NICTA.
The Guideline requires that type approval/registration applications be accompanied by an SDoC, together with any Declaration of Conformity (DoC) and supporting test reports or certificates (including EMC and EMR reports, where applicable). However, the detailed supporting documentation underpinning the SDoC is generally retained by the supplier and needs only to be provided to NICTA upon request.