Legal and Economic Analysis on Digital Trade Policies and Rulemaking in WTO, RTA : Protectionism vs Liberalism = 디지털 통상 정책과 다자 및 지역 협정에서의 규범 형성에 대한 연구

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The environment surrounding the digital economy is evolving, and governments have not yet reached a sufficient level of consensus to establish international trade norms governing it. This mainly results from divergent national perspectives on the key issues surrounding digital trade. It is challenging to meet all the demands of the countries, such as U.S. whose liberal approach to digital trade is based on its competitiveness in the global market, the EU to protect the region's single market and its companies, China to secure future opportunities, and developing countries to protect domestic companies.
The purpose of this study is to discuss the recent politics and trends of digital trade negotiations in various international fora. This study aims to provide an account of existing norms and standards which are essential for digital trade and analysis of several priority issues for digital trade norms in terms of RTAs; for example, data-related regulations that are critical for the liberalization of digital commerce (e.g., data transfer), and prohibition of localization of data facilities. In addition, the study analyzes the implications and limitations of digital trade agreements that have already been made among the RTA and WTO JSI discussion at the multilateral level through literature analysis published by international organizations and statistical data.
This study found the "heterogeneity" of digital trade agreements and policies. Not only does every government have various approaches to digital regulation, but also digital trade covers a wide range of issues that lead to overlapping rules and a complicated network of numerous digital trade agreements with varying partner countries. Even in some agreements negotiated by the same country, each provision, the scope, and the ambition of its agreement are heterogeneous. This paper looked into the different binding commitments and exception clauses of some main provisions of RTAs which can show the countries' intent and ambition towards specific policy issues. It also showed the correlation that if the country is restrictive, its digital policy could differ from the other countries' policies.
Lastly, the study highlights trade barriers, which undermine the effectiveness of making rules. It introduces key concepts of digital trade barriers and discusses the restrictiveness and divergence of digital trade policies in detail. The barriers can be classified as tariff-related and non-tariff barriers: a moratorium on electronic transmission, restriction on cross-border data flow, and data infrastructure localization. It examines the political economy of the digital trade agenda and the legal landscape of provisions within the digital trade negotiation, such as USMCA (United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement), CPTPP (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership), DEPA, and WTO JSI. The signing of multilateral digital trade agreements through the WTO is likely to be prolonged; however, it is a crucial and necessary tool for advancing the digital environment. Therefore, digital trade agreements must be agreed upon by many countries with enough policy space, and at the same time, it should contain enough content on various issues that have been made so far.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

디지털 경제를 둘러싼 환경은 진화하고 디지털 통상 자유화를 위한 논의는 활발하게 이루어지고 있으나 여전히 디지털 경제를 아우르는 국제 규범을 확립하기에 충분한 수준의 합의에 도달하지 못했다. 이는 주로 디지털 통상 이슈에 대해 국가별 상이한 관점에서 비롯된다. 세계 시장에서의 경쟁력을 기반으로 디지털 통상에 대한 자유주의적 접근을 지향하는 미국, 역내 단일 시장과 산업을 보호하기 위한 EU, 국내 기업을 보호하기 위한 중국과 개발도상국 등 모든 국가의 요구를 충족시키기는 어려운 데에 기인한다. 본 연구의 목적은 다양한 국제적 협의체에서의 디지털 통상 관련 논의에 대한 최근 동향을 살펴보고 기존 규범 뿐만 아니라 최근 활발히 체결되고 있는 지역무역협정(RTA)에서의 신규범 형성에 대한 분석을 제공하는 것이다. 또한 본 연구는 국제기구가 발간한 문헌분석과 통계자료를 통해 RTA와 세계무역기구(WTO)의 전자상거래 협상 논의의 시사점과 한계를 분석한다.

이 연구는 디지털 통상 협정과 정책의 "이종성"을 발견했다. 각 국가가 디지털 규제 정책에 대해 다양한 접근 방식을 가지고 있을 뿐만 아니라, 수많은 디지털 통상 협정들의 복잡한 네트워크와 이로 인한 중복되는 규칙들로 인해 이종성이 나타나는 것임을 분석하였다. 동일 국가가 체결한 여러 협정에서 또한 각 규범 조항의 범위와 의무 수준이 상이하다. 또한 규제 수준이 높은 국가일 수록 그 국가의 디지털 정책이 다른 나라의 정책과 다른 정도가 크다라는 상관관계를 발견하였다.

본 연구는 특정 이슈에 대한 주요국의 정책 의도를 파악하기 위해, RTA의 서로 다른 법적 구속력을 가진 조항과 예외 조항을 살펴보았다. 마지막으로, 이 연구는 디지털 무역 장벽을 설명하는데, 디지털 무역 장벽의 핵심 개념을 소개하고 디지털 무역 정책의 보호무역주의적 성격과 다양성에 대해 자세히 논의한다.

WTO와 같은 다자간 회의체를 통한 디지털 무역 협정 체결은 장기화될 가능성이 높지만 디지털 통상 환경을 발전시키기 위해 이는 가장 중요하고 필요한 수단이다. 따라서 WTO 전자상거래 협상을 통해 충분한 정책 공간을 확보하여 많은 국가들이 참여토록 하고, 동시에 다양한 디지털 경제 이슈에 대한 내용을 충분히 담아 합의를 이루도록 해야 한다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• I. Introduction 1
• 1. Definition of Digital Trade 1
• 1-1. Definition and Scope of Digital Trade 3
• 2. Study Background: Liberalization of Digital Trade 5
• 2-1. Attempts to Liberalize Digital Trade in Multilateral For a 7
• 2-2. New Generation of Digital Trade with Regional Trade Agreements 8
• 3. Motivation and Purpose of Research 11
• II. Digital Trade Protectionism: Regulatory and Policy Measures Affecting Digital Trade 12
• 1. Digital Trade-Related Barriers Comparison: Protectionism vs Liberalism? 12
• 2. Significant Digital Trade-Related Barriers and Protectionist Digital Policy 15
• 2-1. Tariff Barrier: Non-imposition of Customs Duties on Electronic Transmission 16
• 2-1-1. WTO Moratorium on Electronic Transmission 16
• 2-1-2. Classification of Electronic Transmission and the Application of Moratorium 17
• 2-2. Non-Tariff Barrier: Data Localization and Restrictions on Cross-Border Data Flows 20
• 2-2-1. Direct and Explicit Localization: China (Protectionist) 22
• 2-2-2. Indirect and De Facto Localization: EU (Soft Protectionist) 24
• 3. Economic Impact of Regulations and Protectionist Digital Policy 26
• 3-1. Customs Duties on Electronic Transmission 26
• 3-2. Data Localization and Restrictions on Cross-Border Data Flows 27
• III. Digital Trade Liberalism: Legal Landscape of Digital Trade Provision in RTAs
• 1. Overview of Major Digital Trade Provisions 28
• 2. Legal Landscape of RTA provisions based on CPTPP, USMCA, RCEP, DEPA 30
• 2-1. RTA provisions on Non-imposition of Customs Duties on Electronic Transmission 32
• 2-2. RTA provisions on Data Protection or Personal Information Protection 34
• 2-3. RTA provisions on Cross-border Data Flows 39
• 2-4. RTA provisions on Data Localization 42
• IV. Digital Trade Liberalism: Rulemaking in WTO JSI
• 1. Overview of WTO Joint Statement on Electronic Commerce 44
• 2. Legal Landscape of provisions based on WTO JSI Legal Text 48
• 2-1. Discussion on Non-imposition of Electronic Commerce 48
• 2-2. Discussion on Cross-border Data Flows 51
• 2-2. Discussion on Data Localization 52
• V. Conclusion: Policy Recommendation 54
• Reference List 57
• Abstract in Korean 59