Washington, D.C. – Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) launched the Congressional Digital Trade Caucus today to promote a U.S. trade policy that works in the digital economy.

Digital trade accounts for more than half of U.S. service exports. The United States runs a $159 billion trade surplus in digitally-deliverable services, which is responsible for 7.1 percent of U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) and nearly 6.7 million American jobs.

“As a strong advocate for a robust trade agenda, I believe we need to be engaged, lead, and on the forefront of this latest frontier in the global, 21st-century economy,” said Congressman Paulsen. “This new bipartisan caucus will ensure continued American leadership in the digital economy by promoting trade policies that harness the power of the Internet and technology to reach new customers around the world.”

“Trade has gone digital and protectionist policies don’t work in an internet-age,” said Congresswoman DelBene. “We need continued American leadership in the digital economy and for that to happen our laws need to be up to date with the way the world works. I look forward to working with Congressman Paulsen on the forward-looking policies so U.S. small businesses can fully harness the power of the internet by reaching new markets and customers around the world.”

In addition to educating lawmakers, the Digital Trade Caucus aims to:

·         Promote a free and open internet to support the digital needs of manufacturers and service providers;

·         Promote free cross-border data flows;

·         Eliminate data localization requirements;

·         Ensure trading partners allow open online and cloud platforms by not requiring them to filter speech;

·         Eliminate requirements that businesses transfer technology, source code or encryption keys;

·         And address customs and trade facilitation barriers for e-commerce.

Congressman Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov.

# # #