Data Flows and Global Trade Law

Abstract

Data flows are at the core of digital trade debates, as they are key to the data-driven economy, while at the same time posing a number of challenges to state sovereignty and the protection of individual rights. While adaptation at the WTO has been slow, states have turned to preferential trade venues to address the new set of issues that the era of big data has posed. The chapter, based on a comprehensive dataset, traces the developments in preferential trade agreements, in particular those of relevance to cross-border data flows. It zooms in on the recent trade deals ofthe CPTPP and the USMCA and provides a detailed analysis of the current state of global digital trade law.