Digital economy deal’s committee to start work group for Canada’s application: MTI

The agreement is signed by Singapore, Chile, and New Zealand in 2020.

Canada’s application to the digital economy deal between Singapore, Chile, and New Zealand will be reviewed by a new working group, said the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) .

The deal is referred to as Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), which discusses new strategies to address digital trade woes, which also helps businesses.

The DEPA Joint Committee had set up an Accession Working Group (AWG) to oversee Canada’s inclusion to the agreement, said MTI.

“The AWG to be chaired by New Zealand will examine Canada’s accession request, conduct discussions on its ability to comply with the standards and commitments of DEPA, and submit a report to the Joint Committee on the proposed terms and conditions of Canada’s accession,” read the joint media release.

MTI Gan Kim Yong said they are expecting more economies to be included in the deal as the economy revives.

“With countries recovering from COVID19 that has accelerated digital transformation, more businesses will benefit from the interoperability across systems that DEPA fosters as well as the benchmark it provides for international trade rules. These will help support businesses with their digitalisation and internationalisation efforts,” said Yong.

The deal, which was concluded by Singapore, also has pending AWG discussions for Korea.