Foreign Affairs and International Trade
The Doha round of multinational trade negotiations is proceeding slowly, handicapped by the European Union’s failure to reduce its agricultural subsidies. It is not clear whether any progress will be made at the next World Trade Organization negotiations in Cancun in September.
During WTO discussion of international trade rules on e-commerce, the question of whether on-line delivery of information products such as software, music and books should be treated as trade in goods or trade in services. Software products are now treated as goods, and enjoy basically global free trade. If on-line software is treated as a service, it will likely be subject to severe restrictions in many markets. CATAAlliance has written to Trade Minister Pettigrew, urging that Canada strenuously resist efforts to treat electronic delivery of software as trade in services. We have also been involved in consultations proposed expansion of the General Agreement on Trade in Services.
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