Canada requests to join digital economy pact DEPA

Canada has officially requested accession to the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA). The country’s request was announced by the minister of international trade, export promotion, small business and economic development, Mary Ng, on Sunday.

Initiated by Chile, New Zealand and Singapore, the trade policy tool of DEPA aims to deal with the rapidly changing digital economy issues of interest to businesses, consumers and workers, like artificial intelligence and digital identities.

Canada will now engage with the digital economy union-initiating countries for the establishment of a working group to join the partnership.

“Our government is positioning our businesses and workers at the forefront of the digital economy,” said Minister Ng. “Acceding to the DEPA will further position Canada to influence the design of international rules and standards around evolving technologies, promoting Canadian excellence and increasing Canadian companies’ access to global markets.”

The initiating countries formed the DEPA in June 2020. Before Canada’s request to join the union, South Korea and China submitted their request to participate in September and October, respectively, of last year.

Before officially submitting its request, the government of Canada launched public consultations regarding the matter in March last year.

“Industry stakeholders, NGOs, provinces and territories, and traditionally under-represented groups including women, Indigenous peoples and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, provided valuable input, leading to this request,” says a Canadian government press release.

The request of both South Korea and China are still pending. Before China submitted its request in October 2021, Matthew Goodman, economics SVP at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., suggested in his commentary piece in July last year that the United States stood to benefit by joining the DEPA. Similarly, George Washington University research professor and Digital Trade and Data Governance Hub director Susan Aaronson suggested in her piece for Barron’s that President Joe Biden should sign up for the DEPA for now. A US government report prepared by the Congressional Research Service acknowledges that “Some observers argue that U.S. participation in existing regional digital pacts, such as DEPA, also could advance U.S. interests.” However, as the congressional report also says, the Biden administration is instead pursuing (and leading) an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework that President Biden launched on Monday with a dozen initial partners (Australia, Brunei, India, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam).

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