Trade In Telecommunications Research Articles

THE IMPACT OF DIGITAL SERVICES TRADE RESTRICTIVENESS ON TRADE IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTER, AND INFORMATION SERVICES: EVIDENCE FROM OECD COUNTRIES

This study analyzes the impact of digital services trade restrictiveness on trade in telecommunications, computer, and information services of Organisation for Economic and Co-operation Development countries by utilizing the Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood method covering the period 2014-2022. The findings of the study statistically significantly confirm the disincentive impact of the higher degree of digital services trade restrictiveness on both exports and imports in telecommunications, computer, and information services. Therefore, more relaxing policies can most likely help to enhance the trade in this type of services due to mainly diminishing trade costs. Besides, to make use of more advantages of increasing digitalization, further cooperation and dialogue across countries, particularly with technologically advanced countries, is required. By this means, domestic services suppliers can attain foreign advanced knowledge and technology at relatively moderate costs, thus productivity can be improved, and eventually, more trade in services can be achieved.

Restrictions on Trade in Telecommunications: WTO’s Cybersecurity Conundrum

This article examines the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in balancing the nexus among a rule-based multilateral trade system, national security, and cybersecurity. It presents a historical account of restrictions placed on the telecommunications trade over national security concerns and focuses on the significant political risks thereof for the WTO if these restrictions are challenged at its dispute settlement system. An analysis based on the WTO Panel rulings in ‘Russia – Traffic in Transit’ and ‘Saudi Arabia – Protection of IPRs’ is revealing in this context. It shows that, despite the obvious cybersecurity concerns, the invocation of the national security exception is not straightforward. The turn to power politics and regionalism highlights the significance of multilateral organizations that provide a more inclusive structure to reflect and protect the interests of all their members, not just those that hold positions of power and control. As long as the stalemate at organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) continues, despite the need for a more legitimate, inclusive multilateral framework, the expectation of a ruling on trade-related aspects of cybersecurity will place an unnecessary burden on the WTO dispute settlement system. Cybersecurity, World Trade Organization, National Security Exception, Telecommunications, Multilateralism, Regionalism, Geopolitics

Telecommunications and International Trade Contracts: Resolving Matters Arising for Optimal Utility

This paper examines the impact of telecommunications on international trade contracts and the associated telecommunications regulatory issues that inhibits optimal utility. It also examines matters arising out of global telecommunications trade, and advanced recommendations for optimal utility of telecommunications in international trade contract. In doing this, the paper x-ray the import of telecommunications in international trade contract, some conventions and laws in relation to international trade, basic principles and contents of international trade contracts in telecommunications, matters arising and the future of telecommunication contracts.

The impact of trade liberalization in telecommunications services: The case of APEC countries

This paper examines the impact of liberalizing the telecommunications services sector on investment and output in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries by estimating a system of four structural equations that takes into account the causal relationship between national income and telecommunications infrastructure. The degree of openness to trade in telecommunications is represented by a carefully constructed index that reflects a country’s trade and investment policy in terms of market access, national treatment and regulatory principles. One interesting finding from the empirical analysis is that the effects of trade liberalization depend on the risk rating of a country. In countries with relatively high risk ratings liberalization reduces investment in telecommunications.

Scientists focus on pharmacogenomics at FDA Science Forum

The development of personalized drug therapies through pharmacogenomics will redefine the pharmaceutical industry, the practice of medicine, and FDA in much the same way that the Internet expanded but disrupted the telecommunications trade, predicted Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Telecommunications trade liberalisation and the WTO

PurposeTo review the relationship between the nature of telecommunications sector reform and the commitments under the WTO, and determine the impact on sector performance.Design/methodology/approachA model is developed which links sector reforms and WTO commitments. Publicly available, data are then used to populate the model and explore the correlations between sector reform, WTO commitments and sector performance.FindingsThe empirical analysis suggests a strong and positive correlation between positive changes in sector performance and sector reform supported by WTO commitments.Research limitations/implicationsThe sequencing of the reform agenda and the use of WTO commitments as part within the political economy of a particular country are important issues which future research may consider. The lack of consistent cross‐sectional data prevented the adoption of more formal econometric analysis.Practical implicationsThe paper highlights the close integration of a number of policy measures if sector reform within a country is to be successful. The role of the WTO commitments may be significant not only in shaping the details of internal policy measures, but also as a credibility signal to investors.Originality/valueIn light of the Doha round of negotiations within the WTO, in particular the “Singapore Agenda”, this paper makes a significant contribution to understanding the relationship between WTO commitments and reform of the telecommunications sector.

The Economic Effects of Removing Barriers to Trade in Telecommunications

This paper quantifies the impact on the economies of the world of complete liberalisation of trade in a key services sector, telecommunications, using a global general equilibrium model. Barriers to trade in telecommunications are highest in developing regions and lowest in developed regions. The paper uses new estimates of these barriers for telecommunications. The results indicate that completely liberalising trade in telecommunications would benefit the world as a whole in terms of increased production by 0.1 per cent. Although the distribution of gains among regions is not even, most regions are projected to gain from liberalising trade in telecommunications. In general, the regions with the highest barriers benefit most. The analysis demonstrates that commercial presence of foreign firms via foreign direct investment is an important mode of delivering telecommunications.

Global Gains from Liberalising Trade in Telecommunications and Financial Services

This paper quantifies the economic impact of complete liberalisation of trade in two important services sectors, telecommunications and financial services. The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) identifies two types of barriers to trade in services: barriers to market access, and restrictions on national treatment. This paper uses recent estimates of the magnitude of these barriers for telecommunications and financial services. These are barriers to trade remaining after full implementation of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade agreements. FTAP2, a ‘computable general equilibrium (CGE) model’ of world trade and investment, is adopted for analysis of the effects. Using this model, completely liberalising trade in telecommunications and financial services is estimated to increase world real gross national product (GNP) by 0.2 per cent. The model used to estimate these effects only captures the static gains from trade liberalisation. As such, the dynamic effects of trade liberalisation are not captured in the results. Thus, the estimated gains from the liberalisation can be interpreted as the lower bounds of all potential gains to regional and world economies. The modelling indicates that commercial presence of foreign firms via FDI is an important mode of delivering telecommunications and financial services. So it is vital to model changes in FDI when estimating gains from liberalising trade in these sectors.

Introducing Competition into Australian Telecommunications

Australia's telecommunications regime has been developed over several years with the clear intention of facilitating robust competition, while also providing a raft of consumer safeguards. After introducing elements of competition in the 1980s, the government was able to gradually increase the level of competition, until the introduction of full competition in the Telecommunications Act 1997. Since then, the government has encouraged a stronger competitive environment by strengthening the powers of the ACCC. It has also improved consumer protection safeguards through the enactment of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Services Standards) Act 1999. Further refining of the regime will not end here. The government will continue to review competition and consumer policy and continue to promote liberalised trade in telecommunications markets.

Towards the Asian information society through telecommunications trade and investment

The purpose of this paper is to investigate possibilities in promoting the movement of the Asian economies towards becoming information societies. We focus on promoting intra‐industry trade and investment in the information and telecommunications sector. We take into account the impacts and implications of the economic crisis and its aftermath on ongoing implementation of liberalization policies in the telecommunications industry in various Asian countries. Concrete action plans are proposed to exploit synergistic cooperation within the region as follows: (i) industrial relocation and utilization of actual and potential industrial complementarities; (ii) vertical integration, horizontal mergers, acquisitions, and consolidations of telecommunication companies to remedy over‐investment; (iii) prompt establishment of common technical standards of telecommunications through international organizations and multilateral negotiations; (iv) suitable international division of sub‐industries based on national capacity; (v) establishment of information centers as matchmakers between small‐and‐medium‐sized enterprises with diverse IT needs; (vi) expansion of trade and investment by quid pro quo multilateral trade negotiations.

ITU to release report on trade in telecommunications

ITU to release report on trade in telecommunications

Is there a U.S. foreign policy in telecommunications? Transatlantic trade policy as a case study

The principle aims of this article are to identify the mechanisms and strategies for U.S. foreign trade in telecommunications and its rationale with respect to the concept of “public interest” for U.S. citizens. Clearly, much more is at stake on a global level than the interests of U.S. citizens when it comes to U.S. foreign policy in telecommunications. However, it is misguided to assume that all U.S. citizens are the beneficiaries of U.S. foreign policies, particularly with respect to trade, and it is increasingly necessary to understand the relationships between foreign and domestic telecommunications policies. Whereas it has never been more important to critically assess U.S. foreign trade policies, particularly with respect to peripheral nations, it becomes all too easy to simplistically disregard how those trade policies relate to U.S. domestic social policy and issues of domestic peripheralization (Calabrese, 1991). In pursuing opportunity and wealth in other countries, what impacts are telecommunications monopolies having on U.S. citizens? This is not a jingoistic question, but rather one which draws attention to the concept of citizenship in an age of rapidly expanding global telecommunications. How do we define citizenship in an age of relative decline in sovereignty even among the most powerful states? What responsibilities do trade negotiators and domestic monopolies with expanding foreign investments have toward citizens in their own countries? These are questions of much broader significance than for U.S. citizens alone. Despite the relative economic decline of the United States in the global economy, United States-based capital and trade negotiators continue to have considerable global influence, both by example and through strategic efforts, on the relationships between capital, states, and citizens. This article raises these issues through an analysis of the role of the United States in telecommunications trade in Europe. U.S. firms have tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to gain greater access to the telecommunications markets of some of the most affluent countries in the world, only to find that the national governments of many of these countries generally are resistant to the idea of allowing exogenous capital to enter and potentially come to dominate their markets. United States-Japan and United StatesEuropean Union trade in telecommunications both provide useful case studies, al-

The impact of US-Japan telecommunications trade upon Japanese Information Infrastructure development

This article analyzes the impact of US-Japan telecommunications trade upon the development of the Japanese Information Infrastructure. The current telecommunications trade conflict between the two countries does not pay attention to an essential aspect; technology standards, arguing only national, self-centered, and short-range perspectives on bilateral trade. This article will open up a global perspective regarding bilateral trade, telecommunications infrastructure development, and government/business relationship. Our conceptual framework and empirical evidence will serve as a basis for not only the underlying essence of the bilateral telecommunications trade dispute, but also for discussing the nature of government/business relationships in the global information technology era.

Telecommunications for the ‘New Korea’

In terms of trade in telecommunications, South Korea is the largest of the East Asian ‘tigers’ and, in certain key sectors, has made its presence felt around the world. As with virtually all other Asian nations but Japan, its experience with modern telecommunications is a relatively recent development. The prospect of national reunification suggests that Korea—North and South—will play a unique and strong role in regional and international telecommunications. Yet Korea is, arguably, the least understood of the Asian tigers. It lacks the British colonial legacy of Singapore or Hong Kong. In contrast to them and to Taiwan it is culturally and politically distinct from China, which has historically acted as a magnet for outside attention. This article offers a corrective to the ingrained tendency to treat Korea simply as another Asian tiger, or to group it with other Asian nations. It looks at how Korea is coping with some of the major telecommunications policy issues facing other countries in the region and...

Towards free trade in telecommunications and information services

There is a growing need for new international rules to govern global information and telecommunications services. Several international organisations, like the ITU, the GATT and the OECD as well as the European Commission, are addressing this need, but this work is in a state of flux. To achieve these new rules, a more intensive international cooperation is needed. An effective framework of international cooperation in telecommunications and information services would contribute to global economic development.

Telecommunications and computer services in the Canada-US Free Trade Agreement (FTA)

The paper examines, from a telecommunications policy perspective, the main features of the provisions of the recent Canada–US Free Trade Agreement (FTA) dealing with enhanced telecommunications and computer services, and seeks to draw conclusions that may be relevant to efforts in the current GATT round to develop new trade rules for services. It reviews the key features of the Canada–US agreement, including the approach taken to definitions, market access and national treatment, monopoly behaviour and access to information issues. The paper notes that although the FTA has limitations as a model for future trade in telecommunications, many of the same issues will have to be dealt within the GATT negotiations. Based on the Canadian experience in negotiating the telecommunications provisions in the FTA, the author concludes that concerns expressed by some telecommunications policy–makers that liberalized trade rules may make it difficult to continue to pursue their own national policy objectives are unfounded.

Recent Developments in U.S. International Telecommunications Trade Law

Recent Developments in U.S. International Telecommunications Trade Law

The changing face of US telecommunications trade policy

The author discusses the widely held belief that the US trade deficit as a whole and the telecommunications trade deficit in particular are due in large part to a perceived disparity between the US policy of promoting free trade and the allegedly protectionist policies adopted by foreign countries. Against this backdrop, he reviews a revealing exchange of correspondence between Federal Communications Commission Chairman Dennis Patrick and House Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Edward Markey that goes to the core of these issues.< <ETX xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">&gt;</ETX>

Telecommunications — International trade and US trade policy

Deregulation of the US telecommunications market—by far the largest in the world, accounting for 40% of the world market—has led to a rapid increase in imports, so that the United States is now pressing for “reciprocal” changes in other countries’ telecommunications markets. The Telecommunications Trade Act of 1986 threatens countries with retaliatory measures if they fail to shape their telecommunications policies in accordance with the very precise requirements set out in the trade policy objectives. This raises the question of their sovereign powers to determine policy in the telecommunications field.

Telecommunications, trade and TDF

Trade in telecommuncations and computing services, particularly trade in data-related services, offers potential for economic growth in all sectors. This article raises a number of issues which need to be settled in international fora before the greatest benefits can be reaped. Differing national regulations, international competition, treatment of data as a commodity, the role of trade in the services economy and legal questions are explored. The author suggests that international agreement on trade in telecommunications and computing services could provide the basis for a ‘core’ agreement on trade in services.